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mw_bookgraph's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Cannibalism, and Child death
ninahuynh's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
fast-paced
5.0
Cannibalism. The Donner Party is one of the infamous stories of such dire situation where survival and morals intersect. The third book in Nathan Hale's Hazard Tales series, this graphic novel's emotive illustrations really bring the reader into the story. Anger. Hope. Sadness. Hopelessness. Cold. Short cuts can be the death of you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Cannibalism, Cursing, and Murder
Minor: Animal death
erine's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
informative
fast-paced
4.25
Once upon a time (in Middle School) I had a friend who frequently commented on my literally delectable calves. They remarked on the balance between fat and muscle that apparently offered a potentially tender meal. So I have long since come to terms with the idea that humans are also made of meat, although it remains a very gristle-y topic for polite conversation. In entertainment, cannibalism gets frequent over the top, gallows-humor treatment, and I am reminded of the latest season of Miracle Workers (Oregon Trail). But as horrifying and ludicrous as cannibalism might be in popular culture, the core question remains: how desperate would you need to be to eat a companion? Are there any circumstances when survival would dictate that meal?
Donner Dinner Party attempts to answer this question, in the context of the extremely harrowing journey of the wagon train trip taken by the Donner family and many others. The circumstances of their travel are painted in stark terms, illustrating the rash foolishness of some of the party, some unfortunate bad luck, and the grim determination of many of the travelers. As with many of the books in this series, there is humor, there are facts, there is mythbusting, and in the end I find myself still keenly fascinated by history.
There is a frankness to this story that is not hidden, but there are several instances where our narrator warns the reader that they may want to skip ahead. For those who wish to know the story but avoid the cannibalism, it is possible to so. But there is no avoiding the topic of death in general and there are also a few instances of animal consumption that may be distressing (a sentiment that is echoed by the Hangman).
Donner Dinner Party attempts to answer this question, in the context of the extremely harrowing journey of the wagon train trip taken by the Donner family and many others. The circumstances of their travel are painted in stark terms, illustrating the rash foolishness of some of the party, some unfortunate bad luck, and the grim determination of many of the travelers. As with many of the books in this series, there is humor, there are facts, there is mythbusting, and in the end I find myself still keenly fascinated by history.
There is a frankness to this story that is not hidden, but there are several instances where our narrator warns the reader that they may want to skip ahead. For those who wish to know the story but avoid the cannibalism, it is possible to so. But there is no avoiding the topic of death in general and there are also a few instances of animal consumption that may be distressing (a sentiment that is echoed by the Hangman).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cannibalism, Animal death, Violence, and Death
ekmoore11's review
adventurous
dark
funny
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cannibalism, Animal death, Child death, Death, Death of parent, and Violence
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