Reviews tagging 'Death'

Burntcoat by Sarah Hall

12 reviews

samsearle's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Death, and Sexual content

jay_hobday's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Vomit, Terminal illness, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Body horror, Death, Medical content, and Suicide

tecas's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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? N/A

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, and Grief

Moderate: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Body horror, and Violence

beemailley's review

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

char_lottevg's review

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Gore, and Violence

Minor: Suicide attempt

amyymon's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Death of parent

Moderate: Abandonment

savvylit's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Imagine that COVID-19 was even more lethal. That's what the virus, aka novavirus or AG3, that's sweeping the world of Burntcoat is like. Hall wrote this book at the beginning of lockdown in March 2020 - and it shows. Hall makes numerous eerie and unsettling parallels to our own pandemic. I honestly found it difficult as a reader to reckon with a phenomenon that is still so current.

There are two primary threads in this story. The first thread follows Edith's experience with her lover Halit during the novavirus pandemic. The second is Edith's reflections on growing up with her mother, a stroke survivor. Ultimately, Burntcoat weaves a tale that is somehow both bleak and beautiful. In writing this novel, Sarah Hall has written a lyrical and humane take on the full spectrum of mortality.

Though I personally found this novel to be a little too on-the-nose, I am definitely looking forward to reading more of Hall's work. Her beautiful prose has enchanted me and I'd love to experience more of it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death of parent

lola_milk's review against another edition

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? Yes

4.0

I gave this book four stars because I was very moved by the relationship between the main character and her mother, who raised her as a single mum even though she had brain damage. I also enjoyed reading about the main character's artistic process. 

However, I'm not sure if these elements paired well with the narrative about the main character and her lover trying to survive a pandemic. The relationship with the lover was just not as compelling as her relationship with her mum, and I am very burnt out on pandemic stories for obvious reasons. 

The book was beautifully written, with gleaming prose. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Medical content, Dementia, Death, and Sexual content

Moderate: Vomit, Death of parent, Car accident, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

stevie's review

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Grief, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Terminal illness, Vomit, Ableism, Blood, Car accident, and Confinement

lianne_rooney's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Death, and Pregnancy