Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel

15 reviews

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad medium-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

5.0

I generally dislike WWII novels, so I was deeply surprised by how much I loved this one. I guess it was a story that started in a way, but it wasn’t a story about the war, and perhaps that’s why I enjoyed it. Yes, some holes here and there, but overall, I found it profoundly satisfying.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Antisemitism, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, War, Abandonment, and Child death

andalucia's review

dark emotional sad slow-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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, War, and Violence

kerrygetsliterary's review

emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Antisemitism, Pregnancy, Violence, Murder, War, Death of parent, Grief, Abandonment, Child death, and Suicidal thoughts

jcphillips115's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

The story is incredible, but the pacing felt off. It surged forward at times when I wanted it to slow down, and then slowed down when it didn’t need to. And the ending feels too abrupt and like it didn’t resolve things. I figured the twist would be revealed (since it had been hinted at for the last third of the book) and then there would be some exploration of how it affected the characters. But instead, the twist was only revealed right at the end, with no real resolution of the underlying emotional tensions. For a book so character focused, it felt like a disservice to end it so suddenly. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Death of parent

Moderate: War

Minor: Antisemitism

kdixon2's review

emotional inspiring sad slow-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Child death, and Grief

Moderate: War

Minor: Emotional abuse

bradybri's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Child death, War, and Death

daralexandria's review

emotional relaxing sad fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Grief, Abandonment, Child death, Antisemitism, Death, War, and Death of parent

maggiestraveledbookshelf's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad medium-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

4.5

“They would do it together, a mother and daughter, emerging from the ashes like a pair of phoenixes, though [she] feared grief would tether her to the ground no matter how wide she spread her wings.”

Rating: 4.5 stars ⭐️ 

Spice: 0

This book is heavy and heartbreaking, but it carries such an important message. 

Let’s Review:

•Set during WWII and the following decades 

•Follows two mothers and their families 

•Occupied France —> NYC

•Impossible decisions made under harrowing circumstances 

•Themes of grief and family and art

•Compelling writing + well-researched 

The entire book, I just wanted to hug my daughter and never let go. 

Also - The author’s note at the end was particularly interesting and appreciated. I love getting further insight into the research done for historical books! I’ll always say: Never skip the author’s note!! 

If you enjoy reading historical fiction, I highly recommend this book! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Violence

Moderate: Genocide

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

arthur_pendrgn's review

dark emotional 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? Yes

3.0

 

The blurb is misleading, I think.

The book, to me, is about women judging other women for their decisions because of their own fears. It is also about a psychopathology of shock, guilt, and bereavement. The pilot's connection to Juliette was too trite.

 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death and Child death

Minor: War

sarahflanders's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Child death, Grief, Antisemitism, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Violence