Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Boys Don't Cry by Fíona Scarlett

5 reviews

betweenbooksandkitsch's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Child death, and Chronic illness

pkc's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

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

4.0

Achingly sad, but hopeful. A really gorgeous example of Irish literature: spare, taut and bruising. I absolutely loved it. Didn’t like feeling like I was asked to have sympathy for certain characters and it wrapped VERY quickly.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, and Cursing

becky_smith's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

3.75

This book was, for me, a book that reflected the everyday sadness and the everyday light within tragedy. This family undergoes several tragedies, all in the space of about two years, but the narrative allows for a look into how these events effect individuals, rather than a sweeping statement about tragedy as a whole entity. The exploration around class added an extra element that felt apt, as it again allowed for the development of characters that don't fit exactly into one neat box.

Joe becomes a drug dealer, a thing that ripped his family apart, but he does so out of love.

Overall, this book was a joy to read, and I felt connected to the characters, both their struggle and their triumph. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Death and Death of parent

roemfr's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cancer, Violence, Death, Cursing, Grief, Murder, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Child death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

isadorareads's review

dark emotional funny reflective sad

5.0

 Some stories leaves and indelible mark on you. This is one such story. Set in Dublin, it tells the tale of two brothers, Joe (17) and Finn (12). The story alternates from Finn to Joe and back again. You know from the opening that Finn is seriously unwell, and facing the end of his short life. Joe perspective is later, when he has to deal with life without his little brother. 

This is a heart breaking story, but there is so much humour too, particularly in the parts narrated by Finn. There is also love, so much love. Joe wants to protect his brother from the harsh realities of living on an estate, where their father is involved with the local gang leader. There is the love shared between friends, work colleagues and medical staff. And there is Annie, Joe and Finn’s mother, plunged into every parent’s nightmare, regardless of who you are or where you come from. 

The language is brutally honest, the family come from a tough background and their language reflects this. It is full of fantastic turns of phrase that immediately place you in the location. Close your eye and you are watching children play football on a concrete square that was meant to be a garden, or you are inside the pub where Annie serves behind the bar. 

What is the definition of a great story? One where you are no longer reading, you are experiencing. Yes, this is heart-breaking. Yes, you too may sob. Yes, you will think about Joe and Finn at random times days, even weeks and months later. It is a story that lodges itself firmly under the skin. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, and Terminal illness