Reviews tagging 'Miscarriage'

The Dance Tree by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

70 reviews

noomlum's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage and Physical abuse

Minor: Xenophobia

bootrat's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious sad slow-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

2.0

I found this book too slow and uninteresting, despite the promising premise and setting. I nearly DNFd it a couple of times, and took a break when it got too boring, but I eventually finished it. I also didn't like the main character, especially in comparison to the side characters who were much more interesting. 
Wouldn't recommend, and doesn't entice me into reading more of the author's works.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Suicide, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Violence

Minor: Animal death

amylovesbooksandyarn's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

I hadn't heard of this book untill my close friend told me she was doing a buddy read and read me the synopsis and I was intrigued. (She also had a beautiful versions with spayed edges of bees and I am a sucker for a pretty book) 

That this was based a real phenomenon that occured in the 16th century and was so odd and mysterious it drew me in. 

This is not a happy book but it was a beautiful book.  The author is also a poet and her writing style whilst not written as a poem is very descriptive and rich.  In the authors note it draws links between the attitudes of the 16th century and current times and I feel that makes it even more sad. 

I am now hoping to read the Mercies by the same author.  . 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Blood, Suicide, Mental illness, Homophobia, Death of parent, Miscarriage, and Religious bigotry

albon's review against another edition

emotional fast-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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Infertility, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Grief, Death of parent, Outing, Pregnancy, Racism, Animal death, Confinement, Suicide, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Police brutality

jmckeough's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Violence

Moderate: Miscarriage

znvisser's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-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? No

2.25

Hmm this wasn't for me. For the first third of the book, nothing much happens. And just when I was about to DNF, the story picks up and gets interesting, only for it all to sizzle out again. This book had a compelling premise but unfortunately the main character was by far the most boring bit, her character only formed by motherhood, religion and whining. The other characters were way more interesting, and I understand that this helps create mystery for the MC, but a lot of repetitive time is spent mostly with her and I didn't really care for it. The use of the antagonist felt like reading a children's story, as if this book was somehow supposed to be a family tale. So even though I appreciated bits in the middle part, where this story crackles and comes to life, to me it wasn't worth struggling through the rest of it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Outing, Racism, Xenophobia, Homophobia, Infertility, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Miscarriage, Death of parent, Grief, Suicide, Violence, and Infidelity

Minor: Domestic abuse, Murder, and Alcohol

ruddsreads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage

bree_of_the_woods's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative sad tense fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Racism

Moderate: Islamophobia, Infidelity, Death of parent, Addiction, and Fire/Fire injury

sb27's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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? No

4.75

Could be a 5. Really enjoyed it. Got off to a great start, then dipped a bit and the end seemed a bit rushed. But the bulk of the book was just fantastic. So interesting, though can't say it was entirely enjoyable. Women at the mercy of men, then and even now. Would highly recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy

Moderate: Miscarriage, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Animal death and Domestic abuse

slinkmalink's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Other than the weird dream I had the night I finished it I really loved this book.

Though I was sad about a lot of things and wished that theyd had happier endings,

even though it was clear from the moment they mentioned the poppy that Ida wasn't going to survive I wanted her and Nethe to escape and live their own lives

, and

I felt that Lisbet really deserved a happier life away from Henne with her own child and possibly also Eren

, by the time I got to the end I was really convinced by it, it felt the most genuine way for the story to end 

in unexpected and grief forged love and finding the little miracles eg. of a child even through a life they wouldn't have chosen

and I think it would've been unsatisfying for them to all have happily ever afters bc that is simply not how the world worked especially for women and queer people and immigrants

I knew a little about the dancing plague (from horrible histories ofc) but not really anything about why people think it happened and how everyone else reacted to it. I thought the chapters about the dancers were beautifully written and worked really well at conveying the context that is thought to have led to the plague in a personal way, especially with regards to what women specifically endured at the time 

Also everything about the bees was beautiful

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Violence, and Xenophobia

Minor: Grief, Miscarriage, Murder, and Death of parent