Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

The Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans

11 reviews

cassielaj's review

challenging emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

A compelling, honest collection of stories that explore history, its lingering influence, and how it shapes us. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racism, and Grief

Moderate: Car accident, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness

mmayern's review

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death of parent, Death, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Car accident, Gaslighting, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, Colonisation, Grief, Hate crime, Misogyny, Murder, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Police brutality, and Sexism

1quillb's review

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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

3.25

I had high hopes for this, but it just didn’t work out. I usually enjoy short stories, but these were just… short. For me, a good short story is only good if it manages to fit some sort of deeper meaning into its pages, and I couldn’t find a meaning in most of these.
I don’t know this author or what they were hoping to accomplish from these, so I don’t know how to judge, but nothing really happened to anyone except in the last story. And the description/title of the book is, in my opinion, misleading, because it doesn’t have anything to do with the actual concepts in the book. I also didn’t really like how it was written, I found it confusing. 

Happily Ever After: 2.5/5
Richard of York Gave Battle in Vain: 2/5
Boys Go to Jupiter: 2.5/5
Alcatraz: 4/5
Why Won’t Women Just Say What They Want: 3.5/5
Anything Could Disappear: 4/5
The Office of Historical Corrections: 4/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Hate crime

Moderate: Gun violence, Racial slurs, Sexism, Death of parent, and Cancer

Minor: Sexual content and Terminal illness

starsnotshadows's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Grief

Moderate: Racial slurs and Death

Minor: Gun violence, Sexual content, and Terminal illness

quillreads's review

dark sad medium-paced

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

3.75

As a history major, the title of this book piqued my interest. I didn’t realize it was a collection of short stories + a novella until after I purchased it.

 

 

Plot:

N/A

 

Characters:

All of Evans’ characters seem rather blank, as though they are floating through life passively. I think this was on purpose, and it is rather unsettling. None of them asked to be born into the messed-up world in which they live, but the past haunts them nonetheless.

 

Setting:

N/A

 

Themes:

Evans explores themes of loss, racism, and (obviously) history/the past. Her commentary is subtle but powerful. Every story is filled with pain.

 

Writing Style:

Evans is an excellent writer. I don’t really know how to describe it. Her style isn’t particularly distinctive, but it flows well and allows for the themes to seep through. She certainly comes up with creative ideas for her stories.

 

Conclusion:

The Office of Historical Corrections is well-written and powerful. Unfortunately, I did not give it the time it deserved simply because I didn’t want to spend my time with something so sad. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Racism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Murder, Infidelity, and Drug use

Minor: Mass/school shootings

kyrie's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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

5.0

This collection is absolutely beautiful. Danielle Evans understands human behavior and relationships like no one else. She is an exceptional writer and story teller. Her characters are realistic, flawed, sincere and relatable. She does a much better job developing a character in 30 pages than most authors do in 300+ pages. Honored to have read this collection. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, Racism, Grief, Hate crime, Kidnapping, and Terminal illness

caseythereader's review

challenging dark emotional funny reflective tense fast-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

- Every single story in this collection feels like it could be its own novel, and yet somehow I am not left wanting more from any of them - they are all perfectly self-contained.
- Some feel ripped from modern headlines (Boys Go to Jupiter) and some are steeped in family history (Alcatraz) but every one feels populated with real people and real history.
- And when everyone tells you the novella that closes this book is phenomenal, everyone is right - holy cats, wow! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Violence

rachelb313's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Wow was this a depressing but brilliant book. The novella was my favorite, and interesting that it brought up some similar themes as the vanishing half. I also really loved the one with the wedding. The character development in such short stories was masterful and I will read anything she writes in the future. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Death

ghoulscoutcamp's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, Racism, Sexism, and Terminal illness

Minor: Racial slurs

mollyrose's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Death, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, and Terminal illness