Reviews tagging 'Child death'

Lies We Sing to the Sea by Sarah Underwood

8 reviews

ntstucky's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Grief, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Murder, Kidnapping, Death, Violence, Suicide, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Rape, Blood, and Slavery

lizy's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual content

Minor: Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Slavery, and Grief

kanadrallegria's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Confinement, Murder, Sexual content, Child death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Slavery, Violence, Rape, Suicide, Death, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

klbreyfogle's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Death, Violence, and Child death

Moderate: Sexual assault and Slavery

persephonefoxx's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

So first things first. This book is woefully falsely advertised. Lies We Sing to the Sea is not the Greek Mythology retelling it is marketed as, it is an original story set in the backdrop of Ancient Greece. Which of course brings up the discussions of the author not having read the source material that this ‘retelling’ was based off. As someone who also hasn’t read the Odyssey in it’s entirety or analytically, I am not in a position to add anything to the conversation that hasn’t already been perfectly detailed by other reviews. 

All that aside, this story was enjoyable and at time I had fun reading parts. But it wasn’t great. While I enjoyed the writing, I found the characters to be frustrating. The ‘love triangle’ is one of my biggest qualms. The romance in this story had so much potential, especially in a setting historically known for queer relationship. Instead it found itself tearing down the bumpy road of the cheating bisexual trope. A missed opportunity turned dropped ball. 

But there was a part of this story I loved. The highlight of it all was the ending. That’s where this story not only shines, but also the moment I found it feeling the most like a story about Greek Mythology. A Greek tragedy. And while it ripped my overly emotional heart out, that was the moment where I saw everything this novel could have been. 

This novel has potential. It really did. It was an enjoyable and quick read but I really think it could have been so much more. Yes, maybe that could have started with reading the source material. Or perhaps this was a story that should have existed on its own, outside the world of Greek Mythology. Either way. The beauty of this tale is in the end you just have to get there.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Child death and Death of parent

hailstorm3812's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.75

I'm sad... It's so beautiful though. It's also my second favorite

non poly

ending to a love triangle. I just got really attached to the characters and story. It feels like a Greek Tragedy. This story has already happened there is nothing you can do to change it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Child death, Sexual assault, Violence, Death of parent, Pedophilia, and Grief

shetland_pone's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

I cried.

It's not perfect, but my only real complaint is the love triangle. Apart from that, it's wonderful.

TW: sexual abuse

Something I think the author wrote extremely well is Melantho's experiences and character. She's afraid of men. It's never said outright but you can see it in her behaviour. And it's nuanced. She knows Mathias isn't a bad person, she even comforts him at one point despite her distrust of him. Her feelings of guilt and pain were something I was able to relate to as someone who has experienced another type of sexual abuse. It felt healing to read.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Sexual violence, and Death

hanne_'s review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

2.0

Gods, what a slog. Had one early moment with properly horrific use of familiar imagery (the feet, what else?), and then… kinda fell apart. This could’ve been sweet and lush, but tried to do too much with too little and was narratively all over the place. It’s a reimagining of how the Odys— okay, it’s not really doing that rigorously but it’s an intensely personal exploration of— nope, it’s one of those “monarchic inheritance acts like a reality show competition” books— but don’t worry, this YA love triangle’s *bisexual* and even drifting toward polyam— oh wait, now we’re doing the senselessly tragic nature of capital-F Fate— whoops, have two sudden twists… and it’s over. Exhausting. 

I think the author needed to pick one or two things to really commit to: the worldbuilding as an extension of The Odyssey, the consistency of the magic and plot elements she wanted to include, Leto and Melantho’s first-person voices (which started out refreshing and distinct but soon blended together), the three protagonists’ relationships, or the political/governing elements. Instead, the story rushes past each in turn in service of the others, and the only reliably well-developed element is actually… the violence? If you for some reason want to read a lot of detail about people, mostly children, being disturbingly murdered and assaulted, this is the book for you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Gore, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, and Child death

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual violence, Blood, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Sexual content

Minor: Abandonment, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Animal death, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Terminal illness, Mental illness, Rape, Suicide, Bullying, Classism, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

It’s not creepy if the centuries-old entity having sex with a young woman also looks and acts like a young woman, right? No, nope, wrong, absolutely creepy, and some memory loss to reduce the weight of her years of experience does not fix it.