Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Tin Man

Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Tin Man by Sarah Winman

32 reviews

james1star's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

‘It was simple, it was daft, it was beautiful, it was Michael.’

I won’t describe the plot as I truly believe you should go into this book blind - the back cover only says it’s about Ellis and Michael and then a girl called Annie arrives. The reading experience, getting to understand the story, events fitting into place and character interactions are so worthwhile, it was of the upmost pleasure to read this book. I say that, but oh my did Winman give me all the feels and I can confirm I cried multiple times at this little book. Beautifully raw and heartbreaking writing adds to this but there’s also many lovely parts too - it’s quite the rollercoaster. I know I have to give this book a reread (and it’ll be horrible knowing what’s to come as I do so) to cement my thoughts because in many ways I’m at a loss for words after finishing it. I do know it’s instantly became a new favourite of mine and I’m extremely grateful to have read this book. Please read it, you will not regret it.

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naddl0r's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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parasolcrafter's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

its about the fact that they loved at all that makes this book so tragic... that they loved and lost but didnt lose each other and then did lose each other and then found each other again only for ellis to lose both of his loves with such finality...goodbye. im gonna think abt this book for a long time

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babblingbooks's review against another edition

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emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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anna_m_k's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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sofiajearally's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad medium-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

3.5

It's a story about Michael and Ellis, about yearning and words left unsaid.

It reads like a stream of consciousness, interspersed with hard-hitting dialogue, then-and-now scenes nicely and seamlessly interwoven. But I would have liked to have more focus on some moments (like

Michael's and Ellis's childhood leading up to their first kiss

), while some others were too long and descriptive in my opinion. In the end, while both main characters are lovable, we spend more time with Michael and I ended up getting him much more than Ellis, who's made decisions that I still didn't understand at the end of the book. One would argue that that's how life is, though.

It feels real. The yearning, the grieving, the regrets, all parts of the human experience depicted gracefully, heart-breaking in how ordinary and relatable they are (the wedding scenes broke me). I was personally deeply moved by how random acts of kindness are peppered throughout the book and how the characters respond to them. The side characters behind them are endearing, and the women are so g.o.o.d.

In a way, this book reminded me a lot of Brokeback Mountain, though the plot is different. But it's still about time, masculinity and taking someone for granted. And it's sad, man. Ellis 'I ain't queer' Judd *sigh*.

Overall, I'm a bit disappointed by the story, but the book is so full of gorgeous themes and mesmerizing lines that I'm still happy I read it. I think the no-plot-just-vibes sad people would appreciate it.

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