Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

Das Leuchten der Rentiere by Ann-Helén Laestadius

53 reviews

gingerbirder's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Hmm. This one was a slow mystery and not a ton happens. Still, it is a rich narrative with a lot of intersecting stories of Sami life. The tension at the center was clearly a metaphor for larger issues and gave an emotional context to cultural erasure. The narration was beautiful too. 
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evas_library's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I read this book on a recommendation by a bookseller based on my wish for a "wintery read for my holiday in Lapland, it's okay if it's a bit more bleak" - and boy, did the book deliver! I have rarely read a book that was such a precise fit for the circumstances under which it was read, or for what I wanted from it (definitely a testament to great booksellers in general).
Not only was the story gripping and the characters complex and interesting, but I also learned so much about Sámi life, history, and culture. At the same time, this knowledge didn't come across as a lecture but was shown through the daily life of the characters, their conversations, and reflections. It was also incredibly nuanced in its discussion of contemporary problems, which I appreciated. It was particularly fun for me that I could immediately apply and expand this knowledge in real life.
Another thing I appreciated was how the setting of the seasons related to the progression of the story, making it a very wintery read but not getting stuck there and serving as a metaphor.
What I didn't like so much was a lot of the conflicts in the book could have been solved if people just SPOKE to each other, even a tiny little bit - I know this is kind of the point and serves as social commentary itself, but to me, it makes for an extremely frustrating read. 
Overall, a great read and a clear recommendation.
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pyroclasticflo's review against another edition

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challenging dark informative sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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oliveyou814's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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horizonous's review against another edition

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challenging dark slow-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? No

3.5

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lottpoet's review against another edition

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challenging emotional slow-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

3.75

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hanban1911's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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tdap1899's review against another edition

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

3.75

I had such high hopes for this book which I think is where I ran into issues. I wasn't expecting a multi-POV and I'm still undecided if some of them were necessary. The first part was quite slow and hard to get through, but picks up in the second and third parts. You can tell the author really went the extra mile to make sure you understood the Sami people from their language to their culture which was interesting to learn about. Even small details like the chapter titles being the number in Sami. There were some story aspects I was disappointed in, but overall I think the main story was good. There just seemed to be too many subplots partially because of the multi-POV. 
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abicaro17's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • 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

Elsa is only 9 years old when Robert threatens to kill her if she tells anyone he killed her reindeer. As a Sámi in Sweden, Elsa and her family face xenophobia all the time but it gets increasingly worse as they begin to report the reindeer poaching they experience. Starting when Elsa was 9, reindeer in her family's collective begin to show up decapitated, mutilated, and missing body parts. Their reports go unsolved and the tension causes rampant issues within their family and collective. I think this book was really interesting when it was focusing on the main points of the book but it often went off topic and droned on. Once the book hit 80% it ramped up and I really enjoyed it. Even when it was slow I was hooked. 
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darumachan's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

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