Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

107 reviews

aliterarygoodtime's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.25

---

Content Warnings

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

jaynecm's review against another edition

4.0

Set in Dublin during the 1918 flu epidemic, the story is told over three days in the quarantined maternity ward by Nurse Power who is unexpectedly left in charge of the ward. With cases skyrocketing and staff and resources dwindling, Nurse Power must do what she can to care for her patients.
If you do not care for detailed medical descriptions of all kinds - births, autopsies, flu, deaths - it would be best to avoid this book as the author conceals nothing. The workings of the ward are laid bare for the reader to absorb in all its horror but also all its compassion. 
A riveting, heart breaking story, told in a no nonsense manner which makes it all the more heartrending. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma and Medical content

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

katiewhocanread's review against another edition

emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Medical content, Pregnancy, Death, and Blood

Moderate: Child death

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.

---

Content Warnings

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

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

bookscatteandme's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad fast-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

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

a_26_l's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical content, Child death, Medical trauma, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Blood, Body horror, and Pandemic/Epidemic

kimia_hyperfocuser's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Emma Donoghue wrecked me yet again. The way I begged her to not show those nasty birthing procedures on page... Thank fuck she didn't.
She doesn't have any clever tricks, just simple prose and powerful characters. And in the afterword she tells you how the story is based on real events and people.
Her depiction of the profession of nursing is so charming. Both in this and in The Wonder her nurse characters are competent, discip ined, and endlessly compassionate. I admire them so much.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content and Medical trauma

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Domestic abuse and Rape