Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates

25 reviews

liesbethvv's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring 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? No

4.0

As usual I dove into this book head first, without knowing anything about the genre or the themes, just because the author and book come highly recommended. 
I was completely surprised by the magical realism in this story and it took me a while to get used to it. Once I was on board with the concept of

conduction,

I was mesmerised by the rich language and strong characters Coates put to paper. Moving, propelling and highly imaginative, I enjoyed this ride out of my comfort zone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery and Violence

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, and Grief

Minor: Confinement, Sexism, Sexual violence, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

cerilouisereads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring tense slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Slavery, Violence, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Racism, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Minor: Sexual assault

oliverlang's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Hate crime, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Trafficking, Grief, Colonisation, and Classism

renjamin's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Slavery

Moderate: Death, Racial slurs, and Grief

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

gm_vak's review

adventurous challenging dark 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Infidelity, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

tascaraudo's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

5.0

This book sucked me in! I kept thinking about it throughout the day when I wasn't reading it. The world here is so much more than what the main character and we the readers know and understand, and the sense of mystery and unknowing is prevalent throughout the book. Magical to read. Took me a while to get used to the longer sentences. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Violence, and Grief

aardwyrm's review

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, and Gaslighting

Minor: Death, Death of parent, and Alcohol

machenn's review

dark emotional sad tense 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery

Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Grief

jennifer_bush_73's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, and Colonisation

therainbowshelf's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful 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

What if the Underground Railroad had some help from incredible magic powers? Hiram Walker, a man born into slavery, finds his life unexpectedly entangled with the Underground when strange happenings in his own life catch their attention. 

I really enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting, and the book really took a hard look at the lives of enslaved black people in US history. I also liked that the story worked magic into the amazing work of the Underground Railroad without being reductive.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Racial slurs, Sexism, and Sexual assault