Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

9 reviews

bookishperseus's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

balzi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring 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

5.0

Very deep and personal look at WWII and the probable story of many Germans 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Antisemitism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

delz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This is an amazing, beautifully written book that centers on one period in history, but is in fact a truth about anytime humanity exists. We saw dangerous words wielded to destroy during the Holocaust/2nd WW. We saw it happen in 40’s/50’s with McCarthyism and we see it now in 2024. The narrator is omniscient, because it’s death. Death sees all the destruction and the beauty and shares snippets with the reader throughout. Death follows the story of a little orphan girl, Liesel Meminger during her life as the foster daughter of Rosa and Hans Hubermann, living on Himmel St, in Molching, Germany. All of the characters feel real, are well fleshed out and as heartbreaking as this story is at times there is still joy to be found within their relationships. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Self harm, Suicide, Vomit, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment

ishkodeke's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail

friendly_neighborhood_grandma's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

5.0

This is a work of art. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Antisemitism, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicide, Torture, and Violence

Minor: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

gh1's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Physical abuse, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, and War

Moderate: Gun violence, Hate crime, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Minor: Bullying, Child death, Self harm, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism

theonlybaillie's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-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: Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Grief, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and War

Moderate: Bullying and Toxic friendship

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Pretty much TW for everything and anything.

syd991's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.5

I finally got around to reading this book, after years of meaning to. 

I will say the narration took some getting used to, with Death being the narrator and all. I didn’t mind the straight to the point style, however there was something about it that made starting the book slightly difficult for me. 

Once I’d gotten past the narration (again, this issue is just my personal preference of style), I started to really enjoy it. The characters are loveable, you feel their joy and pain, and truly understand their triumphs and failures.

This book also makes the list of now 4 books to have ever made me cry (Can you tell I don’t cry often over books?). That’s really saying something, about me personally and the emotion the Zusak puts into this book. It’s truly heartbreaking.

Everyone should read this at least once in their lives. It’s too powerful and well-written for someone to keep it on a shelf.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, and War

Moderate: Child death, Cursing, and Gore

Minor: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

travelthrupages's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Self harm, Violence, Antisemitism, and Grief

Moderate: Child death, Death, Blood, and Death of parent