discarded_dust_jacket's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
This is one of those books that is purposefully unclear for the first, like, 75%, until you’re granted some grand revelation that’s supposed to make it all make sense. Except I still had more questions than answers at the end of this story, and feeling lost the entire time didn’t make for a very enjoyable reading experience for me.
The writing was beautiful and descriptive yet very cryptic in nature, which made it hard to connect with the protagonist and the story. I think I’d need to re-read this two or three times before having a clearer understanding of what’s going on. There’s definitely some allegorical meaning at play here, and if I had to guess, something to do with generational trauma.
Huge trigger warning for pregnancy and childbirth which is depicted in probably the gnarliest way I’ve ever encountered.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Body horror, Grief, Pregnancy, Blood, Death, Gore, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Confinement and Infertility
Minor: Excrement
honeyvoiced's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
3.5
Graphic: Pregnancy and Body horror
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Medical trauma
Minor: Miscarriage and Child death
vanesst's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Pregnancy and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Sexual content
Minor: Vomit
_fallinglight_'s review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Death of parent
Minor: Suicide attempt
mmccombs's review
4.0
Graphic: Gore, Body horror, and Death
Moderate: Confinement
salemander's review
5.0
Moderate: Miscarriage, Death, and Child death
ericarobyn's review
4.0
There is a beautiful note at the start of this book that readers should review –
“For my readers, Flowers for the Sea contains depictions of infant harm and death, the realities of birth, and generational trauma.“
Graphic: Pregnancy and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Death, and Death of parent
vigil's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.5
if you entered this book for the sea creature element, and you enjoyed the commentary on trauma, and all the other shit that fucked up baby started spouting towards the end, read the deep by rivers solomon, which a better take on the subjects by a mile.
this book tried to posit itself and its character work as something it wasn’t, and this is at it’s clearest in the ending, that is meant to be a kind of reclamation of oneself and autonomy, but to the reader, evidently less concerned with symbolism than the author, it comes across as a new kind of chain. really, the prose is lovely, and the atmosphere is strong, rocklyn conveys very visceral horror and emotions through the protagonist’s experience, but there’s really nothing in this book that justifies reading it.
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Gore, Blood, Body horror, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pregnancy, Cursing, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence
bluebrooks's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
(if u like this u will probably also enjoy here, the world entire !!)
Graphic: Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Body horror, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Grief, Abandonment, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Blood, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Abortion and Suicidal thoughts
shannananahey's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Suicide attempt, Miscarriage, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Infertility