Reviews tagging 'Car accident'

Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller

12 reviews

liz_svo's review against another edition

emotional funny informative inspiring reflective fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Child death, Death, and Classism

Minor: Car accident

quarcusrubrum's review against another edition

challenging hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Car accident

sierrabowers's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

If you like reading about science and taxonomy, this would be a good book for you. If you’re loosely interested, maybe you would as well. I am not interested in these subjects but the way the author tied the subjects into her own story about life and how the universe is not as it seems… well I was interested to know why fish don’t exist. It was good book! Definitely not what I was expecting but it was enlightening and relaxing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal death, Death, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

newandhorrible's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny informative medium-paced

5.0

I suggested this book to my book club after another friend said that HER book club read it and really liked it. It was short (5ish hours on audio), and nobody had any glaring objections, so we chose it.

And let me tell you. I had NO IDEA what I had gotten us into.

This book defies every genre you try and put it in.

Part biography, part taxonomy textbook, part memoir, part coming-out story, part history-of-eugenics-and-its-ramifications, part MURDER MYSTERY???

I enjoyed it SO MUCH, way more than I thought I would based on the description. I'm so thankful my friend recommended it, and I will definitely be looking to her for more recommendations.

She lost me a little bit with justification of "fish don't exist". I'm not quite ready to give up the fish yet, but maybe someday.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt

Minor: Car accident

strawberrymoonceci's review against another edition

informative reflective

4.5

This was an incredibly interesting book. She paints such a vivid picture in all the scenes, even the ones she didn't witness. I was very curious about the name of the book, I was also curious about the importance of this taxonomist. It was a gripping read, fascinating really. The audiobook version is wonderful, and I found the little nugget included at the end so heartwarming. This definitely made me want to read more book about natural history.

I absolutely did not expect the plot twists to include murder and eugenics! I think it's very interesting how Robert Starr Jordan went from allegedly covering up a murder, feeling wracked with guilt about it, to making eugenics his new purpose in life. What an absolute monster. The book is a masterclass in how to write a villain. In the beginning you hear mostly praise for him, there are definitely criticisms but you can see the author choosing to focus in his great capacity for perseverance, only for it to take a dark change, and for him to end up being responsible for the death, torture and mutilation (amongs other things) of tens of thousands in the US alone. Also, the US was the first country to make eugenics into national law. Which is so interesting considering the national narrative about it role in WW2. Not the least surprising though. I am surprised at how engaging this book was, considering I didn't like the author at all. Her writing is great, but she did not pass the vibe check. Also, fish dont exist as a category, that's the answer to the title. And Robert Starr Jordan can suck on that!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Infertility, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Child death and Death

1414's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Animal death and Rape

Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, and Car accident

adeliab's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Ableism, Medical trauma, and Murder

Minor: Alcoholism, Genocide, Infidelity, Rape, Self harm, Car accident, and Death of parent

meliacoletta's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.5

The audiobook, read by Miller, is delightful! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Racism, Self harm, and Medical trauma

Minor: Car accident

emhunsbaker's review against another edition

challenging dark informative slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Murder, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

valerlance's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

I expected a biography full of taxonomy. Surprise! This book contains some of what I expected, but it's also a memoir and a philosophy text and even (for just a chapter or so) a murder mystery! I loved it so much!!! I highly recommend listening to the audiobook, which is read by the author herself and includes a wonderful, tender surprise after the epilogue.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Murder

Minor: Child death, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

There's a lot of discussion of eugenics