Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Ocalić syna, by Lucinda Berry

9 reviews

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I’ve never read anything like this before. It is the most loving and most self-hating book I’ve ever read. It was full of compassion and contempt. It was a point of view I’ve never considered. I’m grateful to have read it, and I think it’ll make me more mindful before I judge anyone again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Bullying, Grief, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

erica_reads_things's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.0

An incredibly tragic and heartbreaking read. A unique perspective of a family struggling in the aftermath of a loved one causing harm - but being genuinely remorseful. Where do we draw the line between accountability and punishment? 

I wasn't a fan of Adrienne's justifications and excusing tone sometimes of her sons actions, but I can absolutely see how parents would have similar thoughts processes. It's not right, but it felt real. 

All of the characters were so complex. What a read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Grief, Self harm, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Medical content, Mental illness, and Violence

Minor: Incest, Drug use, and Bullying

mflynn8908's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

5.0

I put off reading this story for so long due to the content. This book was so sad and heartbreaking. As a mom of 5 boys I couldn’t help but think how I’d feel in this situation. As a mom when I hear cases of child SA I immediately think the perpetrator is a monster and sick and disgusting. When you hear stories of pedophiles being best or assaulted your reaction is to always think “good they deserve that after what they did to the innocent child”. It’s natural to think this way. What this book does is make you see what happens to their lives from a mom’s perspective. Yes the perp was only a child when he SA the girls, and yea he definitely knew better but the more I read the more I became sympathetic to the main character. To know that he was trying so hard to push down the urge and then the guilt that over took him once he gave in. To see him suffer over and over again only to find the peace in himself when the decision was made to end his life because he knew no one else would be hurt by his hand. Ugh my heart… 
The mom had her moments where she irritated me but then again a mothers love is endless even when her child becomes something/someone she doesn’t recognize. 

The dad though… I would have hit him with my car, reversed and then run his sorry ass over again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Child death, Death, Grief, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

smixter88's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Let me start by saying you 100% need to check for trigger warnings. Honestly, if you just read what the book is about, you'll immediately know at least one of them, but there are several severe ones. I have this really bad habit of not reading what a book is about, and just reading it because it's a thriller or its been recommended a lot. That's what happened here. With that said, I know this is marked as a psychological thriller. It's absolutely not. This book made me feel like I was going to vomit multiple times. It's a heavy read. The things in this book are horrific. I can honestly say I don't recommend this book. They are not just mentioned here and there, it's the entire book. That being said, I'll get into why I gave it a five star. Lucinda Berry's writing is beautiful. The emotions she wants you to feel, you do. 

Disgust ✔️
Saddness ✔️ 
Happiness ❌️ *because it doesn't exist here*
Rage ✔️ 
Empathy for certain people ✔️ 
Hatred ✔️ 
Love ❌️ *again didn't exist*
Depressed ✔️ 

See the pattern? 

You see this book from the mothers perspective, and her literally trying to save her son, only to realize...

I hated and I do mean hated the ending for many reasons. Again, I don't think I was ever meant to like it. I'm honestly confused as to why this book exists. And why the f*ck did I not read what it was about? I would have NEVER read this book. I'll learn my lesson eventually. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Drug use, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Self harm, and Sexual assault

sandyanger's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Bullying, and Pedophilia

txgirl_di's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death, and Child death

ainrosle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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

5.0

This book made me a mess. I'm warning you that if you do decide to pick this book up, just be prepared to be an emotional wreck right after, with a tissue box next to you & a blotchy face. 

There is NO WAY, just absolutely ZERO chances you can get through this book WITHOUT crying. It is dark, emotional, and deep. I don't think I can ever move on from this book. 

There's also something SO amazing about her writing I can connect with emotionally and she writes with such great empathy. The story, the message and the characters are so well ingrained in my brain and it all felt so raw... and real. This book is a masterpiece. I'm pissed that I don't see that many people talk about it. This is the type of book that should be sold on shelves, in everyone homes. 

Beautiful piece of work. Lucinda berry did it again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Grief, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, and Self harm

goodgollymissmollee's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

Oh. My. Gosh. This book HURT. 

I felt extremely conflicted and it really made me think what would I do if I were in Noah’s mom’s position?  The answer is that I don’t know. All I know is that this book truly broke my heart. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, and Panic attacks/disorders

morgansb's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This was in incredibly  challenging and difficult read. This family dynamic was truly unsettling, and watching how they're reckoning with this traumatizing and life altering revelation. The ending fell very flat, and I didn't enjoy the sort of "gotcha" at the end. The characterization of the mother was the best to me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Death, Confinement, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Blood, and Alcoholism

Heavy trigger warnings on this one, features lots of themes about harm and exploitation of minors.