Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

65 reviews

geometricsun's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

The best book I’ve read in a long long time, and maybe my favorite

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Gun violence, Child death, and Addiction

Moderate: Violence, Car accident, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual violence, and Kidnapping

Minor: Religious bigotry, Alcohol, Medical trauma, Racism, Medical content, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Sexual content, Blood, Confinement, Genocide, and Death of parent

natashaleighton_'s review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This gripped me by the heartstrings and refused to let me go, it’s absolutely STUNNING! If you haven’t picked this up yet then you need to do so immediately! 

Angeline Boulley’s writing is soo beautifully evocative, I loved the vividness of the description, intensity of emotions we explore through our protagonist Daunis. 

Her inner strength and sense of compassion was soo incredibly compelling —as was the emotional journey she embarks on, which, though heartbreaking at times, did showcase Daunis’ determination, inner strength and resiliency (both her own and her community’s) in the face of such widespread adversity. 

I also loved learning about aspects of Ojibwe culture and customs, and look forward to spreading more of Boulley’s writing. 

Overall, a definite must read for coming of age / YA fans, however I do advise checking TWs before picking up, as it does explore some highly sensitive themes and subject material. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Racism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Rape, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, and Medical trauma

megob's review against another edition

I really loved the book, up until the part where I stopped.

I totally understand that books can't all have a happy ending, and that this ending--had I read it--probably wouldn't be *un*happy, but I'm disappointed that that's how it went. Yeah, I was surprised, but I wouldn't have read the book knowing the ending. And that kinda ruins it for me.

 

First half of the book gets 5 stars. Third quarter gets 4 stars. Last 6% gets a DNF 🤷

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Gun violence, Grief, Gaslighting, Addiction, Violence, Sexual harassment, Rape, Racism, Car accident, Confinement, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Death, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Dysphoria, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Gore, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Police brutality

If you're looking for spoilers based on content warnings.

the main character experiences or sees all the things listed above happen in her community. Multiple deaths throughout the book, many of which the reader is present for. Descriptions of her grief after these deaths. Neurodivergency affecting her experience of grief and understanding of the situations. A gun is directed at the main character. Descriptions of those in the throes of addiction. Graphic description of sexual assault with "fade to black" followed by internal and external gaslighting and the suggestion that this was not his first assault. Drugging and kidnapping resulting in confinement and forced compliance with illegal activity. Car accident follows which results in medical trauma and death.

At that point I stopped reading, so I'm not certain if anyone was brought to justice but it seems like they would be. Putting it all out there it seems like a horrible story, but it's really really not! The pacing and atmosphere of the first half of the book are very different from the last half.

thaliareads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Overall I very much enjoyed the mystery at the core of the story. At least in audiobook form there was a few times I got confused as to what had been actually said/what was just in Daunis' head as fantasy. However, the audiobook was excellent for all more unique pronunciations both with being in the UP and with introducing what to most readers is an unfamiliar language. I will say the narrator did mess up the pronunciation of pastys (coming from someone who spent 4 years in the UP and who's best friend is a UP local) pronouncing them the way you would pasties - which are very different. 

For me this was a fun and worthwhile read and while I had inklings about who might be behind the mystery, there were too many moving parts for me to guess before the culprits were revealed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Grief, Addiction, Medical trauma, Medical content, Car accident, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Rape, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, and Death

Moderate: Cultural appropriation, Sexual content, and Murder

Minor: Infidelity

This book deals with a lot of heavy topics that I can't possibly put in context without spoiling the book since they are all interwoven. However, I'll do my best to provide some basics. First, this book is obviously about the mystery surrounding the increased appearance of meth in the MC's community. Therefore lots of specifics of drug use and production and the effect of drug use on the community are discussed. Second, any sexual content - including the sexual assault - are described in detail leading up to the incident and then fade to black. In consensual situations there will be kissing but that's where the description stops. Obviously, in the case of the assault there are more long lasting impacts on mental health and well being. There are multiple victims to the drug problem throughout the book - either directly or indirectly - that would classify as murder and leave the MC with a lot of grief to work through. The MC also gets into multiple situations where she ends up injured in different capacities - from bloody to internal - and it is typically described in detail due to the character's interest in healing, health, biology, and science in general. The MC also has an elderly relative that has been in a coma and continues to be throughout the book. She spends a lot of time visiting them and that means it's brought up frequently. Finally, there are characters in the book that culturally appropriate the MC, or others around her. Typically she will note this and point it out for the reader.

peeko99's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Death, Addiction, Alcohol, Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Drug use, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Suicide, and Racism

eve81's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Rape, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Violence, Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Sexism, Sexual assault, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Ableism

cutlet's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Medical content, Drug use, Kidnapping, Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Murder

Moderate: Racial slurs, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Racism, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, and Death of parent

peachani's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious tense 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Car accident, Confinement, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Grief, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Suicide, and Trafficking

Moderate: Stalking, Violence, Death of parent, Drug use, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Child death, Colonisation, Death, Cultural appropriation, Drug abuse, Medical content, Misogyny, and Rape

Minor: Dysphoria, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Alcohol, Murder, Vomit, Body shaming, and Alcoholism

figacro's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This destroyed me in my feels it was so well written 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Murder, Gun violence, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Rape, Alcohol, and Medical trauma

chandrayisaacson's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious tense 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

4.0

Definitely young adult, but with a strong plot, dealing graciously with difficult subjects. Loved how it ended. Strong women!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Kidnapping, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Racism, Sexual assault, Classism, Colonisation, Grief, Sexual violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Murder