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spinesinaline's reviews
815 reviews
Night by Elie Wiesel
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
4.0
Clearly a very personal and haunting story. I had known of this book for a while and I'm glad to have finally read it. For a firsthand account of the horrors of the holocaust, I'd recommend this book but really review the content warnings first. Seeing his attitudes towards Palestine in the epilogue is more haunting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Violence, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Murder, and War
7 Generations: A Plains Cree Saga by David A. Robertson
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
4.75
This book follows one Plains Cree family from the 1800s through to the present through a series of flashbacks, starting in the present with Edwin, a teenager who's recovering from a suicide attempt. His mother begins to share the story of his ancestors and how their experiences and trauma continue to impact their descendants today.
It's a beautiful depiction of family and grief in both artwork and story despite the heavy content, and Robertson does a great job bringing together all of this history. Pleased they combined the series into one book so you can read it all in one go. Would highly recommend this one for any age
It's a beautiful depiction of family and grief in both artwork and story despite the heavy content, and Robertson does a great job bringing together all of this history. Pleased they combined the series into one book so you can read it all in one go. Would highly recommend this one for any age
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, and Self harm
Minor: Alcoholism
A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliott
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
Essay collections are probably my favourite kind of nonfiction read and Alicia Elliott easily shows off her brilliant writing and storytelling skills here.
What I really loved about this collection is that with these stories that are so clearly personal to her life, the author still finds ways to so naturally expand it out to the experiences and treatment of Indigenous people across Canada. It is both a stunning memoir and a needed critical examination of our current society.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Racism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Sexual assault
Little Hunger by Philip Kevin Paul
funny
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
There are so many beautiful poems here that touch on family and nature and home. I’m not familiar with the traditions the author draws on but he easily draws the reader into this world. Some of my favourites were "On Their Wedding Anniversary” (looking at how mother and son cope with the father’s pain), “For the Poet’s Lover” (an exploration of rain and memory), and “Pathway” (the story of two streams and the meeting of family). I was able to find a copy of this collection in my library but I definitely want to purchase my own copy so I can revisit these poems often!
Medicine Walk by Richard Wagamese
challenging
emotional
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
4.75
It’s a beautifully moving story with an ever meandering pace. We slowly follow father and son into the mountains and then into their memories as Eldon shares the parts of his life he’s thus far kept from Franklin.
Quite clearly from the onset, this is a sad book but with its pace, it feels like Wagamese has given the space for the reader to grieve alongside Franklin for this father he’s barely known and the experiences together they never got to have. One of my favourites by the author thus far for sure. I’ll enjoy picking this one up for a reread.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Racism, Sexual content, and War
Minor: Pregnancy
Thirsty by Jas Hammonds
challenging
emotional
fast-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
4.5
Jas Hammonds does it again. Big thanks to the publisher for an e-ARC to review!
Loads of content warnings which the author details in a note at the start, including alcohol addiction, self-hatred, racial microaggressions, and transphobic rhetoric.
I was a little apprehensive when I saw that this release is about drinking as that’s not particularly relevant to me so I wasn’t sure how my reading experience would go but I shouldn’t have been worried. Hammonds continues to write impressive, intense stories about teens and their emotions that can reach you whether or not you have directly comparable experiences with the characters. I'm loving the continued bittersweet nature of their books and will continue to seek them out.
Loads of content warnings which the author details in a note at the start, including alcohol addiction, self-hatred, racial microaggressions, and transphobic rhetoric.
I was a little apprehensive when I saw that this release is about drinking as that’s not particularly relevant to me so I wasn’t sure how my reading experience would go but I shouldn’t have been worried. Hammonds continues to write impressive, intense stories about teens and their emotions that can reach you whether or not you have directly comparable experiences with the characters. I'm loving the continued bittersweet nature of their books and will continue to seek them out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Racism, Transphobia, and Outing
And Then There Was Us by Kern Carter
challenging
emotional
fast-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
3.5
Thanks to Tandem Collective and Tundra Books for a copy for the readalong!
I really appreciate books for younger readers that take on serious themes, and I felt that Carter handles the difficult subject of abuse well. The teen MC Coi is allowed to feel all her feelings, sometimes putting her at odds with those who truly care about her, but it’s balanced with many adult voices in the book emphasizing that blame or shame is not something Coi needs to carry for herself.
The book fell short for me more in the writing than the themes, as it felt like there was more exposition than needed. I would’ve loved for some moments to have been shown rather than described in the narration. Still, I love what this book offers for young readers and taking note of the content warnings, I think it’d be an important read for many.
I really appreciate books for younger readers that take on serious themes, and I felt that Carter handles the difficult subject of abuse well. The teen MC Coi is allowed to feel all her feelings, sometimes putting her at odds with those who truly care about her, but it’s balanced with many adult voices in the book emphasizing that blame or shame is not something Coi needs to carry for herself.
The book fell short for me more in the writing than the themes, as it felt like there was more exposition than needed. I would’ve loved for some moments to have been shown rather than described in the narration. Still, I love what this book offers for young readers and taking note of the content warnings, I think it’d be an important read for many.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Drug use
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
I do wish some things weren’t left as ambiguous. With so many shifts between characters’ perspectives, we get mentions of moments that are brought up again later with another character but many were left unanswered. Some of the math around characters’ ages also seemed to contradict points of the narration, especially as we don’t get solid dates beyond when the book starts.
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Red at the Bone a beautiful and powerful story about a family through the generations, shifting in perspective and time as we follow each family member’s reflections on their own choices as a young person and how those choices have echoed through the years.
This one started a little slow and muddled for me but I shouldn’t have doubted Woodson and the power of her words. It really hit its mark about two-thirds in and I was taken in completely. It’s an absolutely devastating read, and even though several of the climax points were hinted at I was stunned by the end.
I do wish some things weren’t left as ambiguous. With so many shifts between characters’ perspectives, we get mentions of moments that are brought up again later with another character but many were left unanswered. Some of the math around characters’ ages also seemed to contradict points of the narration, especially as we don’t get solid dates beyond when the book starts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Terminal illness
All's Well by Mona Awad
Did not finish book.
Did not finish book.
Really loved the chronic pain descriptions but too slow-moving for me
Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Please give me all the Murderbot detective adventures, I love this as a series itself. I really appreciate how each book keeps building on little hints of the worldbuilding that we've received in the series so far, and getting to see more clearly some of the horrors that Murderbot has come up against but not dwelled on.
Also love how this continued existence among humans adds more challenges and frustrations as Murderbot struggles against wanting to be accepted and not feared and wanting to be entirely on its own.
Also love how this continued existence among humans adds more challenges and frustrations as Murderbot struggles against wanting to be accepted and not feared and wanting to be entirely on its own.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Slavery