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theinkedpath's review against another edition
- 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
Estoy en un tris de deshacerme en lágrimas. Que nadie me toque.
Cinco estrellas como cinco soles
EN:
I am very soft right now.
This is thee book I needed. I am doing a great effort to avoid crying.
5 stars.
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Child death
carlyoc's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I would call this a cozy read if it didn't tackle such heavy topics as grief and death acceptance.
Other themes include found family and second chances.
Wallace Price was a selfish, uncaring person in life. In death, he learns to be kind, be empathetic, and do good, thanks to the influences of a found family who work at a tea shop that acts as a transition point for ghosts moving on to the next world.
First, he meets Mei, a reaper who collects him from his own funeral as he watches his ex-wife revel in his death and his old coworkers fake the appropriate amount of mourning. Mei was born with the ability to see and touch ghosts, which aids her as she brings Wallace to the tea house to meet Hugo, the Ferryman. Hugo's job is to talk to the ghosts over a steaming cup of tea chosen specially to bring out soothing childhood memories. He reassures them that the next world is nothing to fear and lead them over the threshold (or more literally through a trap door in the ceiling of the tea shop's fourth floor). But Wallace is not prepared to go. He has so much growth and learning left to do as he spends weeks haunting the tea house and getting to know its occupants.
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Suicide, Death of parent, and Murder
augustar14's review
- 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? Yes
5.0
A beautifully written story about life, but particularly what comes after. How we cope with the impact our lives had on others, and how grief impacts each person differently. About letting go, holding on, and the steps in between. You won't love Wallace at first, but by the end I think you might feel differently. I certainly did. And it's probably worth keeping a tissue box nearby.
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Murder, and Abandonment
Minor: Animal death, Sexual content, and War
booksbutmakeitgay's review
4.0
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, Grief, and Death of parent
agnes_fr's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder
cluckieduck's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I love me some TJ - while this is my least favourite behind the Green Creek series and The House in the Cerulean Sea, it was still an enjoyable read, and touched on the finer elements of death & grief that I found missing from The Midnight Library.
Our narrator, Wallace, has died. He is brought to a tea shop where he meets Hugo, the ferryman tasked with assisting Wallace's transition from living to dead, ultimately to assist him with crossing over to the otherside. With the help of Hugo & a supporting cast of characters in the tea shop (including the most wonderful dog), Wallace comes to realize that he may not have been the very best person while living. While death is eternal, his time at the tea shop is finite and he must decide how he can rectify who he was in life to who he is in death.
Bravery meant the possibility of death. And wasn't that funny? Because it took being dead for Wallace to finally be brave.
I think I would have given 5* had the ending gone the other direction - I was waiting for the full-blown emotional gut-punch that TJ is wont to provide. All in all, it's a lovely found-family story.
Graphic: Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Gun violence and Injury/Injury detail
cakrolik's review
- 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
Graphic: Child death, Death, Suicide, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail