Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Yo que nunca supe de los hombres by Jacqueline Harpman

78 reviews

chelseaisreading's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.25

This book will be one that sticks with me, but it’s a nightmare. Gives me the same vibes as a long Twilight Zone episode. Ultimately asking so many existential questions. 

(the broken brain part of me thought: this is the anti Ice Planet Barbarians 😂)

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Kidnapping, and Grief

greenknightemrys's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Confinement, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, and Suicide attempt

edamamebean's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

Wow. What a strange and compelling book. And so vaguely spooky too. This is a speculative fiction/sci-fi about a young woman who grows up as a captive in a bunker with thirty-nine other women. Her story begins with her coming-of-age, but really picks up when she and the other women finally escape the bunker in search of answers to why they’ve been held captive for so many years. They never do find answers. In fact, every new discovery just brings up more questions. But the book isn’t about the rules of their world. It’s more of a think-piece, interested in asking existential questions. What do things like death, time, or love mean for someone who doesn’t experience a normal human existence? What happens to a person if there’s no one left to remember them? What does womanhood mean to a woman who has never known men? I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gore, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt

vivisms_82's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes

4.0

Only a small book but it packs a thought provoking, philosophical punch. The subject matter is definitely not a cheery, summer read! It is bleak and heavy at times. I guess, for me, it is a tale of the highest oppression; a world where sensory deprivation and social interaction is forbidden; basic education is no longer, zero privacy (no toileting or washing alone), living in constant fear of violence under the watch of guards. For our main character (who is nameless) we see the impact of all this on her as a human that knows no differently. We begin with her as a child among adult women - no men are imprisoned however the guards are male. I found this deeply reflective on the human experience. Thought it was terrific and not sure why it's not as well known in the English speaking world. I keep thinking about it weeks after finishing it. This book has been described as one that explores loneliness and survival. For me, it's also about our need for connection to the people we share our world with and the need to make sense of the world we live in. It's about how our world, the people in our circle and life experience shape our view and sense of self. This book will make you question how devastating it can be when the human experience we know has been stripped away and our senses, brains and souls aren't nourished, stimulated or challenged. 

** note: If you are one of those people that require answers to all your questions then this is not for you. And I think that (at least for me) only strengthens the story.

Our protagonist gets her information from the women that are all older than her. Not from experiencing anything first hand or learning from a book, tv, internet etc. So once they escape, her view of her world is largely shaped by these 39 women - and their varying opinions, and of their own faded memories and experiences of pre oppressive, imprisoned life. They have not forgotten the violence and that is what makes them so obedient. But their memories pre-imprisonment is vastly lost. My point is, we the reader don't get further answers because our protagonist doesn't know them. That, for me, is what made this book so terrific - no explanation of why she and all the other people were in cells, of their world before or where they are now - is this earth in the future? Is this another planet? A parallel universe? Where is everyone? By not having these questions answered, we are forced to see this world and horrible human experience through this girl's eyes - a girl that knows no different. Truly masterful. 

 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Murder

My content warning of "murder" refers to assisted suicide/euthanasia but there was no drop down for that. However, I do think it's worth noting to future potential readers.

hoopoebird's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Suicide, and Grief

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Kidnapping

hk255's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad medium-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? No

5.0

I really enjoyed this book! It's unique and fits in with exactly what I like in a book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Infertility, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Excrement, and Murder

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

i did not realize this was dystopian/sci-fi. it was still really good. i do wish there was a little bit more of an explanation/closure. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Murder

ssolov's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Terminal illness, Excrement, Dementia, and Grief

liesthemoontells's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

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

4.75

This was a beautiful, haunting, moving book. I had put off reading it as the themes sounded incredibly heavy, but after a friend's recommendation and assurance that it was more of a reflective read I decided to tackle it. 

While the book's themes are complex, heavy, and at times very dark, Harpman's treatment of the subject matter is more meditative and philosophical than shock provoking. There are many ruminations on what it means to be human, on navigating love, gender, and human connection when you have been given no reference point. 

I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone who needs resolutions to their mystery fiction but if you are looking for a powerful and ambivalent piece of speculative literature I could not recommend it more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Colonisation

Minor: Violence and War

bubblybelle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-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? It's complicated

3.75

this book left me with so many questions and an existential crisis

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Confinement, and Death

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

Minor: Miscarriage and Dementia