Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

Dig by A.S. King

14 reviews

hokulani_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

i just know me discovering this book along with pinterest poetry at 14 is going to affect who i am later in life
jul 28 2024

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Racism, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Sexism, Vomit, and Murder

Minor: Homophobia, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Islamophobia, and Kidnapping

beccam22's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

I have heard this book pitched many time to me and I don’t think anyone I have heard talk about this book has read this book. Yes it’s kind of about potatoes, a pita or farmer, a character is called the shoveler. 

But this book is about racism, this book is about generational trauma and breaking out of that. This book is about trusting the next generation is not just lazy, whiney, and stupid kids. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Terminal illness, Antisemitism, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation

all of the characters are connected, the grandmother is I would say the most racist which is routed in receiving “black blood” after an accident that almost killed her and needing a blood transfusion following, being told she had “black blood” and feeling dirty/unpure ever sense. She passed this racism down to one child, the others have tried to do better. Her husband does get sick of her shit near the end of the book and wants to do better. The grandchildren all recognize the racism and want to do better. There is mention of white supremacy, neo-nazism, and hate crimes. There is also a character who is introduced as a very likable and caring person and come summer when he wears short sleeves has a “100% white power” tattoo. There are teenagers being recruited to join white supremacy groups outside their school. There is a girl who was kidnapped, raped, murdered, and buried in the woods but is not gone into in detail until the end of the book. A female character talks about douching with turpentine multiple times in the book.

ferdie's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

4.25

It is so rare that you see a book about white people discussing their race. I am so glad Dig exists and opens the door to reckon with the way white supremacy has a real impact on white people- it takes away responsibility and humanity. This book gives grace while holding white people responsibility for racism. It sometimes told rather than showed (especially in the beginning) but the ending was fantastic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racism, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Sexual assault, Vomit, and Toxic friendship

picketfences's review against another edition

emotional mysterious 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

5.0

very well done

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer and Vomit

Minor: Physical abuse and Sexual violence

thatvirgoreads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Cancer, Sexual content, and Murder

Minor: Violence

katonthejellicoe's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

A.S. KING IS OFFICIALLY ONE OF MY FAVORITE YA AUTHORS. no one could write complex YA stories than her (and Melina Marchetta). i'm officially obsessed.

FAVE FAVE FAVE FAVE FAAAAAVE

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Racism

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexual assault

Minor: Cancer, Kidnapping, and Murder

pamshenanigans's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Dig has interconnected stories and journal-like POVs of a family filled with mysteries and secrets that cannot stay hidden forever. 

This is my first A.S. King and it definitely will not be the last. The writing style worked perfectly for the story and the themes being spotlighted in Dig. It may throw off some readers how only descriptions like "The Freak" and "The Shoveler" were used for some characters since most of the names were revealed towards the end of the book when more was being revealed and all the stories were being wrapped up. But I honestly found that fascinating (though admittedly I got more confused when I found out about their names lol) 

Dig is definitely an uncomfortable yet powerful read that tackles generational trauma (and how it could be different for each generation as well as their coping mechanisms), racism, mental health, and white privilege. 

It's an unforgettable book that I will surely revisit again sometime in the future. 

Trigger/Content Warnings: homophobia, racism, mention of rape, physical assault, cancer, suicide, domestic violence

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Suicide, Violence, and Murder

kell_xavi's review against another edition

challenging reflective tense medium-paced

3.0

As the author herself says, this book is uncomfortable. It’s unresolved. It’s weird. It contains a lot of trauma, mental illness, intergenerational biases and tensions, domestic violence, sexual assault, white supremacy, white guilt. It’s intelligent, includes complex conversations and resilient characters, and was engrossing. I liked it, though I didn’t enjoy it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Vomit, and Murder

Minor: Bullying, Medical content, and Alcohol

kennedyevermore's review against another edition

challenging sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

This book was challenging to get into because of the different perspectives and characters that didn’t have names. The book was like a puzzle you had to piece together.

I think the author did an amazing job really making each character’s perspective stand out and feel different from the other character’s. 

However, once I was a third of the way through the book, I found it to be very predictable. I guessed one major spoiler right away and the people involved in it. I also guessed how all of the characters would come together. That knocked this book down a few stars.

Overall, the book was interesting but definitely not something I’d read again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Racism, Sexism, and Sexual assault

houndoflove1985's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Gun violence and Vomit