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Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'
Oscar Waos korte, makeløse liv by Hege Hammer, Henning Hagerup, Junot Díaz
15 reviews
pennylane86's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
Es lo más dominicano que leí en mi vida (no es que haya leído mucho pero, de entre toda la literatura latinoamericana que tengo entre mis lecturas, nada grita con tanta fuerza República Dominicana). Les personajes, las descripciones locales, los modismos al hablar, la pobreza casi inconcebible, la "machirulez" tan latina, las lecciones de historia -lo que es vox populi y la mirada que sólo un dominicano puede impartir-, esta novela está tan bien construida desde ese aspecto que da gusto.
Siendo argentina y conociendo las dictaduras de latinoamérica, nunca me siento preparada para leer con detalle las atrocidades que cometieron quienes estaban en el poder; Trujillo fue una bestia que cometió crímenes tan terribles que son casi inverosímiles.
Me parece que, más que ser una novela sobre la maldición -o el fukú, como le llaman les dominicanxs-, es una novela sobre el amor; el mal amor, la obsesión con le otre y también con el mandato social. La obsesión de tener que tener un marido, la de tener que no morir vírgen, la tozudez de esta familia que lleva a que el fukú se termine cumpliendo, en su mayoría.
Para terminar, una de las nerdeadas de Óscar que más representan a esta novela:
• Veidt dice: «Hice lo que debía, ¿no? Al final, todo salió bien».
Y Manhattan, antes de desaparecer de nuestro Universo, contesta: «¿Al final? Nada termina, Adrián. Nada nunca termina».
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Murder, and Toxic friendship
rhgrimes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and War
Minor: Cancer, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Police brutality, and Abortion
carlytenille's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
savreads28's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Body shaming, Cancer, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and War
niamhbereading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
the narrator of this book really made it for me. surprisingly, it is not oscar. instead, it's a character who we do not meet until about halfway through the book, and even then, he holds little stake in the plot. yunior (the narrator) has such a unique voice as he tells the story of oscar's family, & that made the tales of the trujillo-era dominican republic all the more interesting to me, a white american reader. oscar- the protagonist of this book- is actually never a narrator, even though the book is named after him. i think that adds such an interesting perspective to the story: everyone is talking about oscar, so the book takes you on a ride to finding out who he is through other people's lives. (note: one of the chapters is in the pov of oscar's sister, and there's no real distinction between who is narrating. you just gotta pay attention to how the story is being told to get it.)
this book travels through three generations of the de leon family: oscar and his sister lola, his mother beli, & beli's parents. though oscar & lola's stories are based in new jersey, beli & her parents are all living in the dominican republic under dictator trujillo. junot diaz does a wonderful job immersing the reader into each generation. in particular, some chapters have footnotes that give historical context, which i found really helpful. the dominican history bleeds through the pages.
ok spoiler time:
this book has MAGICAL REALISM YAYYYY!!! the de leon family is cursed w/ a fuku that travels throughout the story. it's not too prominent, but when it's brought up, diaz knows how to bring it up. he has struck a good balance between a grounded-in-reality story & supernatural elements. also oscar is a sci-fi nerd so i like how both the character & his universe has an affinity for the unrealistic.
spoiler time again:
great read!!! this was the second time i've read it but the first was when i was like fourteen, & this book only gets better w/ age. i would recommend this book to dominicans & latines who want to learn more about their history, nerdy outcast kids who grew into nerdy outcast adults, & those w/ an affinity towards tragedies. wonderful book <3
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Body shaming, Cancer, Fatphobia, and Forced institutionalization
eveymarie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Sexual harassment
deebee223's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Cancer, Kidnapping, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Classism
akswhy'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
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Murder
Moderate: Rape and Suicide
lacifaeria'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
5.0
I see Oscar so much in the people I've known and in myself, the Nerd of Color. The deeper connection with the women in his family was so beautiful (Lola and Beli for sure! and a whole monument to La Inca), these beautiful complicated women creating the structures that he would develop within, complete with their own difficulty grappling with freedom and independence, womanhood and the role love plays within it, generations of de Leon's fantasizing about being saved. This was just - amazing.
Oscar, that lovable nerd, and the own nerdiness of the narrator, Lola's novio, was cringeworthy in accuracy and I laughed and cringed with each self-sabotaging, self-deprecating line. Being a teenage/early adult nerd in constant love was something I felt so deeply. That juxtaposed against his cultural pedigree, the reputation that smothered him about Dominican men and their lothario prowess, was a new level of angst and anxiety I have rarely articulated but wholeheartedly appreciated seeing in print.
And the cadence of the narrator? UGH -- amazing. I've heard this language, this perfect weaving of the profane and the obscene with salient witticism, was comfortably colloquial and so accessible. It felt like the stories you heard in hushed whispers once the relatives got enough liquor in them at the cookout. Like....nostalgia. Like home.
I don't want to go into detail because I think the story is so perfect that I'd rather someone read it first. It made me literally laugh out loud more times than I can count, and actually made me cry on no less than three occasions. Truly the best book I've read this year and there were some heaters on the list already but this was truly a fucking awesome read and I am now a Junot Diaz forever fan.
Stop reading this review and go read it. Just -- go read it right now!!!
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, and Misogyny
greatsilverini's review against another edition
Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment