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sarahholliday's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
McConaghy is a brilliant writer—her prose are gorgeous, and I really enjoyed the structure of this story. The slow reveal of Franny's past, and the impact it's having on her present, built the tension of the story beautifully. And McConaghy's dedication to illuminating the consequences of climate change while also wrestling with the complexities of everyday life is incredibly impressive. All of these things make her an automatic read for me!
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
cfogarty2014's review against another edition
3.0
Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment
jenn_burros's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Child death, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
iseinkpen's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Nevertheless, the themes and characters were powerful enough that it affected me emotionally, even if from a plot point of view I was dubious.
I read McConaghy's second novel about wolves first, and I've got to say they are remarkably similar - it feels a bit like she copy and pasted the template, but I guess if it works it works. But like her other novel, it's billed to be about climate change and wildlife destructions but deviates a lot from that plot/theme to explore the character's own trauma. That isn't a problem per se, but the birds and climate change plot felt a little unfinished, like it petered out because she didn't exactly know where to take it. BUT, not nearly as much as in the wolves book, hence my higher rating for this one. The near apocalyptic world also felt somewhat underdeveloped (if that much wildlife had died off, humanity would be struggling a lot more).
On the writing, it was very evocative and emotionally powerful. And that's when I'm reading it in Swedish, which isn't my native language - if the emotion and skill in describing the natural world and bodily experiences survived that much level of translation, I reckon if I'd read it in the original English this writing would have hit me like a truck and left me a blubbering mess on multiple occasions. As it was, I just cried at the end (on a public bus!).
Important to be aware that it's a lot darker than the blurb would imply so definitely heed the content warnings - of which there are many and very explicit. There's no option for ecocide in the content warnings, but like big time on that (of course).
Overall, I did... Enjoy isn't the right word, but I was transported by this book. I learnt about birds, and it's left me thinking a lot about how I want to treat the people - human and animals - in my life, and perhaps that's the most important thing of all.
Graphic: Animal death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Pregnancy and Alcohol
margiebentley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt
belebe29's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
Von mir eine klare Leseempfehlung, auch wenn ich nachvollziehe kann, wenn es evtl. dem Einzelnen, zu "Düster" ist.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Car accident, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Child death and Death of parent
readinglibra's review against another edition
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Police brutality, and Car accident
Minor: Miscarriage and Suicide attempt
thepletts's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, and Suicide attempt
feryesreadingcorner's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- 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
Despite all the heartbreak and tragedy it manages to have a hopeful ending - still, at times the tragedy of it all got a bit too much for me.
Graphic: Suicide attempt
Minor: Sexual assault
becarnold's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Grief, and Death of parent