Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Go as a River by Shelley Read

39 reviews

mrs_engineer's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and War

alyssatuininga's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Minor: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War

hilhawk's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

What an incredible story, of resilience, of love, of loss..... It was absolutely devastating and heartbreaking in so many ways, but I couldn't put it down even though I was absolutely wrecked.  
I wish I could go back and read this for the first time again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Child death and Death of parent

sophiestasyna's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Violence, and Murder

Minor: Death of parent and War

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

I have about 4K words of thoughts about this that are more appropriate for elsewhere, but I am absolutely baffled that other reviews didn't mention the fact that this book uses violence against a Native person to prompt personal growth from a white woman. Wil shows up, gets called slurs, has no characterization,

gets Tori pregnant, is vaguely magical, and then dies in less than 100 pages. He only exists to be pined for as like an ethereal being. He is written as essentially something other than human who also provided a baby.

It made me REALLY uncomfortable. Also, I felt like the end was a whole different story that got tacked on. I just cannot believe Read talked to Native folks before writing this book, as she states in her acknowledgements. Because I really feel like she just went and checked off all the tropes of writing about Native people in the kind of "magical Negro" trope. The character is there to further the story, but they're not really a full person. I'm just really mad about this. First time I've been burned by a blind date with a book. Sigh. The action kind of trickles out too. 
*bought at Analogue Books & Records in Pueblo, CO

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Hate crime, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Drug abuse, Sexual content, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War

mthereader's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Xenophobia, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Minor: War

katharina90's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

3.0

A slow, sad, reflective book with interesting themes, some of which I wish had been explored more (or differently). Some elements of the story felt rushed or underdeveloped. At times it also just dragged.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Fatphobia, Violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Miscarriage, Colonisation, and War

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

0.5

this was so so disappointing. the characters are incredibly one dimensional and stereotypical, the plot is incredibly unbelievable and boring, and the author used the singular Indigenous American character is barely featured and simply used to further the main characters story and then thrown away. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

rudy23's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death

Minor: Drug use, Car accident, and Death of parent

erinwea's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional sad 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

Beautifully written. Loved the
Colorado history and geography.  A little too much trauma for 5 stars, but overall redemptive.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy