Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane

17 reviews

booksinkandpaper2's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

katierobertsonshaddix's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

jennifersmind's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, and Grief

Moderate: Addiction and Blood

nutfreenerd's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Grief, and Murder

arf26's review against another edition

emotional funny sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I loved this book!  So well written - taking a heavy and charged set of topics and adding humor.  The insight into the South Boston neighborhood, code, and mindset was riveting.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

marthadude's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

kmad's review

4.0

This is an ugly book (both with the language and the violence), but also very well written historical fiction. Conflicted about how to rate it and could change this later. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction and Drug abuse

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, and Pregnancy

shellbell31's review against another edition

dark emotional funny tense fast-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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Drug use, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Grief, and Murder

alexisgarcia's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

this is incredibly dark and hard to read. this book is very very depressing but it’s a good and important story that shows a woman having to face her own racism, as well as the racism in her community, while searching for her missing daughter. there are no heroes in this story, and there is no happy ending. while this is a crime novel, it covers racism, politics, grief, and much more. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

magicinwords23's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

This was such a spectacular read. I was bewitched from the first page. Mary Pat was a badass and someone you want fighting your corner. The courage she showed in front of some of the most dangerous criminals and situations she found herself in was commendable. Her efforts in searching for Jules and the lengths she went to were so admirable that no one could fault her loyalty and love for her daughter. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Grief, and Murder

This story takes place over the summer of 1971, during a heatwave, in the housing projects of Southie, Boston. The city has decided to desegregate the white and black public schools and no one is happy about it. Mary Pat Fennessy is a single mother trying badly to keep her head above water. Having spent her life in the housing projects she is tough and doesn’t let too much get by her. One night her daughter Jules doesn’t come home, the same night a black kid is suspiciously killed mysteriously by a train in Southie. After a few nights and there is no sign of Jules Mary Pat becomes worried and starts doing her investigation, interrogating those who might know her whereabouts. Mary Pat’s interrogation does not go down well with Marty Butler, the boss of the city’s mob and his crew, and along with this, the recent killing of the black kid and the desegregation, it forces a shining beacon over Southie and Marty’s dodgy businesses. But Mary Pat’s whole life is her daughter and will not let anything stand in her way, not even Marty and his posse, to find Jules.