Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keefe

40 reviews

tiff__dawg's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

katrinaburch's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.5

This book is one that should be on anyone's list who has an interest in the Troubles. It is well researched and well written. I was a teenager when the Good Friday Agreement was signed and while I knew a little at the point that was going on, I have since learned more through books like Edward Rutherfurd's Dublin and Morgan Llywellen's The Irish Century series. But those are both fiction, this is narrative non-fiction. Yes, the author does state that it doesn't begin to cover all that is needed to know about one of the most complex conflicts in the world, but it's a start. 

I did have to knock it down a star for the author not using footnotes and ONLY using endnotes. As a historian, this drives me nuts. Endnotes are for your sources, footnotes are for extra information!

Overall, it's a very good book and should be read. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Religious bigotry, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Excrement, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

mondovertigo's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and War

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Excrement, Vomit, and Grief

Minor: Rape

maxmilkman's review against another edition

adventurous informative tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Death, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Police brutality, Medical content, and Abandonment

Minor: Gore, Pedophilia, Medical content, and Suicide attempt

mikeybjones's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Alcohol, and War

jadepfaefflin's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark informative inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

bigheadcam's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

An absolutely incredible, fascinating, and perfectly paced narrative nonfiction on the Troubles. Radden Keefe is very careful to specify that this book is not "historical" nonfiction because a lot of the information in this book is derived from oral accounts. He did his best to reconcile these accounts by corroborating them with more official records and reports, but the Troubles are not well documented and were a truly chaotic time.

Radden Keefe's writing is objective and informative while also remaining gripping and maintaining an excellent storytelling tone. I was consistently impressed with how well he kept every subject covered interesting, and how he manages to switch contexts without losing the reader or making it jarring.

Thanks to John Oliver for recommending this on Hot Ones. I'd happily do the same for anyone with an interest in history, radical ideologies, revolution, and modern struggles for independence as well as the cost of said struggles.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

maggies's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Since reading Empire of Pain and Rogues, PRK has topped my list of nonfiction writers. His attention to detail and ability to weave a history that reads like a novel is second to none. The story of Jean McConville and her children, the nationalist movement, the origins of the Troubles, and its fragile peace and enduring legacy is told not necessarily chronologically, but thematically. PRK leaves a trail of breadcrumbs throughout as he builds to his final conclusion, with shocking twists and reveals along the way. Among the most shocking was the constant reminder of how recent this history is—while many active participants have passed away, many others are still alive, and memory is long.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Police brutality and Religious bigotry

kefink's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad tense slow-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Hate crime, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

timesnewroman12point's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War