Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Milch Blut Hitze by Dantiel W. Moniz

18 reviews

samantharosejohnson's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Toxic relationship, and Grief

Minor: Sexism

booksandprosecco's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Rape, and Blood

Moderate: Cancer, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Grief

Minor: Infidelity and Abortion

bookscoffeehayley's review against another edition

challenging 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

CW: miscarriage, death of a child, suicide, suicidal thoughts, death of a parent, sexual assault, child abuse

After I finished ‘The Office of Historical Corrections’ (and loved it) I asked the internet what other short story recommendations they had. Milk Blood Heat by Dantiel W. Moniz was the most recommended collection so I immediately put a hold into my local library.

This is a fairly short collection, 11 stories coming in at just under 200 pages. But while this is shorter, it took me a bit to read. I wanted to stay with these stories. I couldn’t read them back to back. I had to pause after each story and sit with it.

These stories focus on an array of topics including familial relationships and traumas, identity, infidelity, miscarriage, healing, love. These stories end leaving you wanting more but in the best way possible.

I can’t recommend this short story collection enough. I tandem read this with the audiobook and also would recommend the audio version! I’m excited to see what Dantiel W. Moniz releases next!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, and Death of parent

bridgettb's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective fast-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: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

sarahlovesbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book of short stories was beautifully written. Some lines just made me take a breath and read again to capture and really process them. The style kind of reminded me of Her Body and Other Parties, but the characters' struggles and flaws were more human than fantasy. Almost like Humans of my New York.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Death of parent

laurenmcnamara's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Suicide, and Blood

Moderate: Child abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Death of parent

naturemamareads's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Fatphobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Grief

hellalibrary's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-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

This collection reminded me of the suffocating heat of summer. When you’re hot and sticky and feel like you’re moving through a fog and it’s hard to breathe. When everything has that dreamlike quality and no one is any rush to do anything. I picture someone laying in bed with the blinds closed and the ceiling fan is going but all it does is recirculate the hot air. Sweat-drenched.

I took my time with this. I would read a story and then have to sit with it because I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. And I wanted it to rain.

I’ll leave you with a couple of quotes that have stayed with me, because honestly, I still can’t form the words to describe this collection. It’s all feelings.

“She is a vampire queen. She is newly thirteen, hollowed out and filled back up with venom and dust-cloud dreams.”

“From here, her mother looks young - could be any of the girls, making sure the face she’s wearing is the one the world wants - and at this thought, Frankie suddenly breaks through, not just a mother, but a whole person.”

“You learn to be who you are, or you die as someone else. It’s simple.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Miscarriage, and Suicide