Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

105 reviews

margot_eliza's review against another edition

Couldn’t get into the book with the writing style - found it too hard to follow and felt like nothing had happened half way through

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Incest

ile94's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Child death, Pedophilia, Child abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Emotional abuse

Minor: Incest

sabs98's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

5.0

This was a heart-wrenching story of pain, loss, and lifelong trauma. My heart breaks for Estha most of all, but for Rahel and Velutha, as well. Though there were many different avenues for pain to enter the lives of the two-egg twins, the way I see it, growing up in a house with a woman full of poisonous resentment and self-preservation to no end was the biggest factor of their suffering. I wanted to punch Baby Kochamma in the face multiple times throughout the story. For me, this book (perfectly) captures the silenced fury, the poignant heartbreak, the helplessness that can only be evoked by prejudiced systems designed keep certain, good-hearted, average people fearful and small, and to keep other fearful yet dangerously arrogant people powerful and important.
Although it was annoying at times to me, Roy's style of narration is very unique and intentional, and in the last 50 or so pages of the book the purpose of narrating in certain ways became clear to me. I would love to read this book again to understand better Roy's literary artistry (only after I've recovered from this heartbreak).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Incest

mengzhenreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional slow-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

4.75

This book has so much to unpack. the writing? delicious. the plot? nuanced and complex. the characters? rich with history and personality. I need to reread this asap because there's just so much to analyze.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Child death, Pedophilia, and Violence

Moderate: Incest, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Death

Minor: Racism

nhewitt99's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

Following the perspectives of a large family through many points in time, the style of this book is dizzying at first. Give it time, and the same qualities make it completely immersive. The prevailing story is a tragedy, yanked along by nonlinear storytelling that foreshadows every detail before it happens. It's gripping, and moving, and so difficult to put down. 

I was amazed by how many themes Roy could probe through the lens of one family, including love, modernity, history, classism, sexism, colonialism, trauma, and self determinism. Each topic is given respect and nuance via the myriad perspectives offered by the large cast of characters.

The rhetoric is beautiful and makes great use of extended metaphor and symbolism. It's also ripe with the phrase-as-adjective speech that I'm a sucker for, like deep-seaweed-feeling.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Classism, Police brutality, and Colonisation

closethikikomori's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Racism, Gaslighting, Child death, Classism, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, and Grief

Minor: Incest

shy_i's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

Very tough book to read. It contains descriptions of child abuse, domestic abuse, and police brutality.  

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Child death

selimhannah's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Murder, Child death, Classism, Death, Violence, Police brutality, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Racism, Abandonment, Incest, Body shaming, Violence, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Animal death, Blood, Murder, Death of parent, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Car accident, Body shaming, Colonisation, Confinement, Misogyny, Pregnancy, and Fatphobia

theraindiary's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Death

Moderate: Misogyny and Sexual assault

ctmy04's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-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

amazing message and spectacular portrayal of a deeply generationally traumatized family in malayam, india. tackles very hard topics and strong emotions, not for the weak-hearted.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Incest, Death, and Infidelity