Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

24 reviews

aliterarygoodtime's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Death, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Pregnancy, Child death, Blood, Classism, and Grief

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

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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

ginabyeg's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-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

5.0

This book will definitely give you a taste of nursing in the early 1900’s. Story is fast-paced, engaging from the start, told from the perspective of a still-single nurse in the maternity ward during the 1918-pandemic. Some parts get rather graphic. There are themes of life/death, trauma, and religion. While the book was published in 2020, the author had finished it before that time. I find this makes the character’s insights in the book even more powerful, somehow, and the parallels between then and now extra startling.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical content, Child death, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Death, Blood, Excrement, Religious bigotry, and War

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

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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

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

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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

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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

hdzigurski's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Miscarriage, Medical content, and Medical trauma

helzie_2023's review against another edition

emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical trauma, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child abuse, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, and Gore

stargirlmolly's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Grief, Miscarriage, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Classism, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide, Child abuse, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, and Ableism

Minor: War and Violence

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.

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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