Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

27 reviews

a_mckeever's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Medical content, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Domestic abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, and War

Minor: Gun violence and Fire/Fire injury

booksandteatime's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Medical trauma, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Blood, Child death, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Death, Self harm, Grief, Suicide, and Vomit

Moderate: Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, and Physical abuse

brdgtc's review against another edition

emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Rape, Blood, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Child death, Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, War, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Religious bigotry

emjay2021's review against another edition

5.0

Fascinating, incredibly moving historical fiction. I had no idea Dr. Kathleen Lynn was based on a real woman doctor at the time. I found Nurse Julia Power to be a warm, quick-witted, appealing narrator and I loved her interactions with the newbie nurse helper Bridie Sweeney.

Emma Donoghue is a beautiful writer, and the audio version of this really does the prose justice. One funny thing about the audio book: I kept thinking the doctor was saying “N’est-ce pas?” an awful lot, and it made me wonder why she would lapse into French so often. Well, it turned out she was actually saying “Nurse Power” in an Anglo-Irish accent. It took me a LONG time to realize it.

This book is set in a quarantine maternity ward during the 1918 flu pandemic, so there is a lot of pregnancy, baby loss, and death. Heads up if these are things you don’t want to read about at this time. I was OK with it, but there was a time when I would not have been. There is also a lot about the abuses perpetuated on women and children by the Catholic Church.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Death, Physical abuse, and Sexism

isaaah's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Child death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Gore, Medical content, Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Classism, Body shaming, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Grief, Religious bigotry, War, and Child abuse

Minor: Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Vomit, Incest, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Infertility, Suicide, Slavery, Excrement, Miscarriage, and Abandonment

bessadams's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Sexism, Blood, Child death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Religious bigotry, Death, Grief, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Vomit, and War

ashfantastic98's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Body horror, Death, Physical abuse, and Child death

wonderforehead's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective 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

4.5

I don’t even know where to start. Much like what the narrator says at one point, what happens in this book is like a fever dream. What felt like a slow start was slowly eclipsed by the struggles that just kept coming, one after another, in that makeshift maternity ward. At the same time, I wished the book was longer, much as it made me feel all sorts of things. But then again, I think I just wish that because of at the end of the day, this book just breaks my heart. It’s hopeful in some ways, but bitter in others. I’m rambling now but basically, I think I’m gonna remember this book for a long time.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Medical trauma

Moderate: War

Minor: Physical abuse, Classism, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Child abuse

alisonmac86's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Blood, Child death, Death, Grief, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Emotional abuse

Minor: Physical abuse and Vomit

hanmitche11's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Started out so slow until towards the end of RED. Was fully engaged in the story for chapters BROWN and BLUE and then less engaged for BLACK. The romantic relationship felt forced. Was it just to make readers feel more invested in the ending? I think it could have felt more organic without it and still pulled at my heartstrings. The author's note on the real Dr. Lynn was appreciated. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Pregnancy

Minor: Physical abuse