Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

Changeling by Victor LaValle

29 reviews

breadscorcher's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book is as cynical as it is poignant, and as grim as it is loving, and it's hard to put a point on whether the experience is a positive or negative one. Nothing is sacred, and nothing is left unsullied. Friendships, relationships, parenthood, childhood, and every gap thereof is full of weeds and dirt to pick at and display.

If you're looking for something magical, this isn't it. If you're looking for something that ambles along the line of surreality and harsh realism, this is a story for you. If you're the sort of person who finds themself longing for more of the darkest, grimiest, and most forlornly beautiful portions of American Gods, this is the book for you. 
But don't expect the break from those things that Neil Gaiman gives you, this is a story as bleak as history, and as much about the horror of the future as it is about the foundation that that present future is built upon. 

If originality is your prime metric for whether you'll like a book, this has that. Whether or not the originality carries the book or not is subject to debate, but the experience was worth it for me. 
It's unlike anything I've read for a good minute, and as a whole it stands apart from anything I would have read, but it's a beautiful rendition of that. 

Ironically, this book includes several portions dedicated to the last book I finished, To Kill A Mockingbird, and unironically, it seems that the author was in a similar, albeit darker, mood. Race, sex/gender, and class inequality surround the story, but aren't the subject of it, necessarily. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Torture, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Minor: Infertility, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, and Injury/Injury detail

nadiajohnsonbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-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, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Moderate: Confinement, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

sunflower7skull's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

this book was equal parts charming and horrifying, with tragic bits sprinkled in. highly recommended to anyone who loves folklore and a dark adventure. i think i have to look into more victor lavalle books now

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

clarkg's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.5

As a work of urban fantasy/horror, this book really shines. The worldbuilding is unique, the plot holds a consistent level of suspense, and I found it easy to stay invested in the characters. LaValle makes good use of the classic hero's journey arc to structure his story, which feels like an appropriate complement to the novel's fairytale motif. If you don't mind genre bending/blending, contemporary references, or a few loose ends, "The Changeling" is a gripping and rewarding read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Confinement, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Alcohol

fancyjess_party's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Blood, and Abandonment

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

uranaishi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Gore, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual content, Excrement, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

queersubtext's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Gore, Violence, Vomit, Kidnapping, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

indigo_fox's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

4.25

This book was difficult to put down! Something always caught my interest and made me want to move on to the next chapter. 

I didn't really care for the characters. Apollo and Emma both got on my nerves and I didn't find either of them to be very likeable. Patrice was cool though. He's a solid bro. The parts with him were easily some of my favorite moments. 

I found this book to be very creepy. There were moments were I actually cringed away from the book because I was so freaked out. I still have a bunch of questions, and there are moments where I am not entirely sure what happened. 

That being said, I enjoyed the book! It wasn't what I was expecting but I wasn't disappointed. I hear this author has other books and I plan on checking them out!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting

wyabook234's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Racism and Pregnancy

lancemama's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Suicide and Suicide attempt