Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon

28 reviews

osden's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Genuinely beautiful, complicated, truthful in the way fiction can be. The kind of book where you want to linger in the world and how reading it felt even after it ends 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Police brutality, and Death of parent

Difficult topics but addressed in a way that is realistic, never gratuitous, and that overcomes.

sadhbhprice's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Police brutality, and Mass/school shootings

Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child death, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Slavery, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Death of parent

calamitydane's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This book was fascinating start to finish. The themes, the voice, the settings, the characters were all engrossing and captivating. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

transgender

,

intersex

,

lesbian

ehmannky's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A beautiful book that meditates on the concepts of intergenerational trauma, systemic violence, the horrors of repeating abusive cycles and the pain of breaking away from them, and the healing power of queerness when it is allowed to thrive. Vern is spectacularly brutal and loving character, bringing to mind characters found in Octavia Butler's Parable duology. I loved the use of the supernatural to ponder violence, especially as it pertains to the United States and the government and how there's not really a place within the confines of this land that is free from this violence so long as you're in contact with other humans.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Suicide

zombiezami's review against another edition

5.0

This was mesmerizing. The characters and the narrative were so amazing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment

Minor: Racial slurs, Slavery, and Colonisation

Intersexism

nonidude's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence, Grief, Mass/school shootings, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Child death, Drug use, Genocide, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, and Alcohol

ash_ton's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

i read this for the LGBTQIA+ book club i'm a part of! i don't normally gravitate towards science fiction so it's always nice to be pleasantly surprised. 
i was not expecting the turn the book took. like, at all. wild

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Cultural appropriation

strawberrytheauthor's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

I have never read a book like this. I have been wanting to get into more eerie books and this totally scratched that itch for me. If you are a fan of spooky but not horror this is definitely for you. There is a lot of gore and body horror stuff that left me thoroughly unsettled. It reminded me of “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka. The whole story was dark and brooding with little flecks of hope and the writing made the characters and setting come to life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Infertility, Misogyny, Racism, Suicide, Police brutality, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Cannibalism

mixtercharlie's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is a wonderful book that I would encourage everyone to read in small parts. It deserves to be enjoyed slowly. There is violence but the violence is paramount to the story, even when it’s visceral and upsetting. A book I could read again and again and always take away something new. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

cookiecat73's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This was a very raw, very honest book that absolutley did not shy away from tough topics. I loved the characters. The first 3/4 were amazing, but unfortunately the last quarter of the book went in a direction that was much less of my thing and I enjoyed it a lot less. Overall though, very good.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Minor: Racial slurs, Slavery, and Excrement