Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller

11 reviews

lynniekate's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Grief

grey_jayne's review against another edition

emotional informative mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

3.75

I think the hype got to me on this one. It's good but I found it too meandering from the central premise at times. I did enjoy listening to it read by the author tho...and how she shared her queerness. Worth checking out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical trauma, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Police brutality

craftysnailtail's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective fast-paced

4.5

A challenging read, but also an important one. A story that ended up being about topics that I never would've expected based on the synopsis. Many of those topics were heavy and difficult, but I appreciated the way Miller wove them together. The novel felt raw and human in a way that really stuck with me, which was especially surprising with it being non fiction. Also loved how the audiobook ended. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

readingpicnic's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, and Sexual assault

Minor: Infidelity and Self harm

librarymouse's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

About a third of the way through this book, having googled David Starr Jordan, I was ready to finish this, as a hate reader if need be. Jordan was, without question, a horrible man. The atrocities he inflicted upon the world with his promotion of eugenics outweigh any good he may have done as a scientist by multiple orders of magnitude. Seeing Lulu Miller's hero worship of the man was off-putting, the more I learned of him. However, I ended up really enjoying this book as I read on, as Miller explores her own life alongside Jordan's, she brings along the reader. We learn of the atrocities he's committedin the same order she did while conducting the research for this book. It's still hard to have the hero worship of the young Jordan, with his love of stars and rescy jokes, when faced with the knowledge of his role in the American Eugenics movement.

Jordan's hands-on malicious acts, like his touring endorsement of eugenics and the possible murder by poison of his benefactor are completely bonkers. I am constantly amazed that people Revere him, while simultaneously understanding, as I, too have been in awe of the young man he once was.

This book breaks down every facet of Jordan, from his political, religious, and social beliefs; to his family life, addressing each idiosyncrasy with data driven research.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Genocide, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

brttbwrs's review against another edition

challenging hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I would give this 100 stars if I could. Beautifully written, and a hopefulness that carries gravity. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, and Colonisation

mirto's review

challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

If I could give this 6 stars, I would. Brilliant book. I would even say Lulu Miller created a whole new genre. Memoir, biography, essay, nature book, history book, sociology, psychology, murder mystery, whatever, you name it. Made me feel so many things, all at once. I learnt a lot, from science to giving myself the life I want. Why Fish Don't Exist will stay with me forever.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Hate crime, Infertility, Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and War

toffishay's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I could not have guessed that I would be adding another 5-star reading at the tail end of the year. But each page of this book brought me new insight, new pain, new joy. And in another sense, it was nothing new. We are faced with our own lives and our natural world and we take what we can get. The writing is intense and thoughtful. It afforded me some additional perspective about the world around us and made me want to learn more about nature. And it made me cry!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Racism, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Rape, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War

katyaw's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

3.0

There are so many content warnings, I lost count. Suicide attempts, infidelity, drinking to excess, racism, depression, nihilism, murder, eugenics, forced sterilization, etc.

The author writes well, but the book really centers on nihilism and human destructiveness in the name of desperately searching for order and comfort in this world. 

I wouldn’t recommend this book to anyone sensitive.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Genocide, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Minor: Rape and Abandonment

emhunsbaker's review against another edition

challenging dark informative slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail