Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Moloka'i by Alan Brennert

9 reviews

themis_biblos's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-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

4.5

 "I've come to believe that how we choose to live with pain, or injustice, or death is the true measure of the divine within us. Some choose to do harm to themselves and others. Others bear up under their pain and help others bear it." 

 You can feel how much heart and soul Brennert put into his research and this story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Grief, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, and Death

Moderate: Racism, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Sexual content, Addiction, Animal death, Confinement, and Transphobia

lindsayerin's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Confinement, Terminal illness, Medical content, Child death, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Sexual harassment, Child abuse, War, Suicide attempt, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Violence

lynsea's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-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

Heartbreaking and realistic read. Informative read to understand this not-so-well-known history of Hawai’i. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Medical content, and Death

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Violence

Minor: War and Colonisation

dnpatterson2's review against another edition

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Medical content, and Death

alixcallender's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic, Chronic illness, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Terminal illness, Confinement, and Death

Moderate: Body horror, Outing, Violence, Abandonment, Body shaming, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Grief, Murder, Xenophobia, Medical trauma, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Transphobia, War, and Racism

paper_tea_honey's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Violence

feathers4bookmarks's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad slow-paced

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

3.0

I loved learning about the Island, as well as the history and complicated trajectory of the leprosy colony and it’s inhabitants. It was painfully sad at parts and had me in tears despite myself. Overall it got a little slow for me in the third quarter or so when it felt like the story had been told abs was feeling a little repetitive and drawn out. I appreciated the authors real life facts and journals he based the characters off of. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness and Medical content

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness

Minor: Death, Death of parent, Child death, and Violence

3am_bookthoughts's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Abandonment, Blood, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Racism, Genocide, Grief, Child death, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Confinement, Chronic illness, and Body horror

niecierpek's review

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

An unexpected delight. 
A beautiful, traditionally linear novel spanning almost a hundred years of history of a leper colony on Moloka’i, one of the islands in the Hawaiian archipelago. 
This book was a complete surprise.  I had it on my shelf for ages, and if I had read what it was about, I forgot.  I picked it up as a summer read, and was utterly surprised by its subject matter, and very engaging, unsentimental and tactful treatment of the theme.  
I loved the main character, Rachel.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness and Forced institutionalization