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A review by courtneyfalling
The Grief Keeper by Alexandra Villasante
dark
emotional
sad
slow-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
4.0
This made me cry multiple times. I'd call it primarily a sad, contemporary novel with speculative fiction elements to deepen the emotional side. All of the main characters feel drawn-out and almost blurry around their edges... it's a lot more about how things feel than who they are. Marisol especially is a complicated mix of fiercely stubborn and mostly passive or internal, which makes the book's pacing sometimes feel heavy. The beginning weighs down a lot, and then we finally get the bulk of important backstory and growth in the final chapters. I can't say I was ever enamored with Rey as a character or the budding relationship between her and Marisol, but they do have some lighthearted moments and I liked the deeper arc of Marisol letting go of her internalized lesbophobia. And the criticism of the US immigration system is very well-done although I still feel like Indranie deserves a lot more comeuppance than she gets.
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Xenophobia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Lesbophobia
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Minor: Alcohol
Additional CW for bomb attack/mass violence