Reviews with content warning for Suicidal thoughts - Abyss

Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

goatsrsexy's review

emotional reflective medium-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

3.5

Abyss was a very pretty but melancholy story. Told from the perspective of 8 year old Claudia as she starts to learn about mortality and the fact that her parents are very human and make many mistakes. We are watching Claudia's family through her eyes and seeing how much children take in even when they seem like they're not paying attention. The story to me felt very true to how I felt about things as a child. This was my first Pilar Quintana book, but it won't be the last. Thanks to Netgalley and World Editions for the advanced copy.

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natgzmun's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

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todayitsthis's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad fast-paced

4.5

Claudia, who’s named after her beautiful mother, lives with her parents in Cali, Colombia. The grown-ups, including her aunt, are close to one another and lovingly take care of her. However, when someone new enters the picture, the dynamic changes. After that, Claudia’s life is heavily shaded by generational trauma and mental illness.

1️⃣ I read this in one sitting.

2️⃣ I loved reading from the perspective of the 8-year old Claudia. It took me back to books from my childhood. But there’s nothing childish about this book or the traumas it explores.

3️⃣ I hadn’t read any translated works in a while when I picked this one up, and I’m so glad that I did. I studied Latin American lit in college (untranslated then, but my language skills are a bit rusty now) and loved it—I need to get back to it.

4️⃣ I think it’s incredibly difficult to address such difficult topics from the perspective of a child while maintaining an appropriate tone and voice, but Quintana easily achieves it. The way that events unfold in front of Claudia and her reactions are so complex and add heart-wrenching depth to the story.

5️⃣ I have only good things to say about this one. It’s fairly short and can be a quick read, but it’s such a full and layered story.

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wormlibrary's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.5

ARC courtesy of World Editions and NetGalley

Pilar Quintana wrote Abyss from the point of view of an eight year old girl in '80s Columbia being confronted with adult reality.

Books written from the perspective of a child are usually heartbreaking for me and Abyss is no exception. Piecing together the world through Claudia's eyes, we see generational trauma being passed on as the people around her deal with being stuck in their roles in a world where depression is a taboo subject. Claudia's experiences are all too universal and familiar; a child slowly unraveling the mysteries of the adult world, a girl seeing and understanding way more than the adults around her think, and a woman filled with the abyss in the making.

New favorite, great translation.

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