Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Room by Emma Donoghue

27 reviews

readingwithmeredith's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

Took a while to get adjusted to the story coming from a 5 year olds perspective but I was thankful it was because I don’t think I could have read this book if it had been from the mom’s. It was not an easy read, emotional and heavy but I had to know how it ended and I knew there was some hope for the ending. There were some details that felt pointless and sometimes I didn’t fully believe the narrator was a 5 year old child, but overall a thought provoking story that will stay with me for a while. It is scary to think this book is loosely based on a true story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Vomit, Grief, Medical content, Torture, Sexual assault, Confinement, Rape, and Pregnancy

nicolescottwv's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Medical content, Rape, and Confinement

Moderate: Drug abuse, Child death, Vomit, and Miscarriage

Minor: Pregnancy

vertigo97's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Vomit, Torture, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical content, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Forced institutionalization

grboph's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

5.0

This was definitely one of the most depressing books I've read in quite a while, but I had to give it five stars because the premise and the way the story was told were both very intriguing. The story is told from the perspective of a five-year-old boy, which I felt added a lot of depth to the story - I was very impressed by Donoghue's ability to get inside this character's head and relate to him so strongly. This book nearly made me cry several times due to the pure emotionality with which Donoghue tells Jack and Ma's story. I found Jack's perceptions of the world around him to be very interesting, and thought a lot about all the tiny experiences and social conventions that I and those around me take for granted, and what navigating society for the first time at that age must be like. This was a very emotional and impactful book, and I would recommend it to anyone who likes true crime or stories about strong children.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Confinement, Kidnapping, Medical content, Child death, Gaslighting, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Chronic illness, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Abortion

brookey8888's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

At first I wasn’t really enjoying this that much because it is from the point of you have a five-year-old child so it was kind of annoying to hear his thoughts. But as it went on I got used to it and I kind of enjoyed it does also has a full cast narrated(I listened to the audiobook) which I really enjoyed. Also this might be a slight spoiler but they are in the room the whole time they get out like 50% through which I thought was interesting because you got to see how the child and everyone reacted. I do wish there was like some more I don’t know if closure is the right word or something but it makes sense because it’s the point of you have a five-year-old so everything that’s happening to the Mom we don’t really know like therapy and stuff like that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Stalking, Vomit, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Drug use, Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Blood, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Death, Excrement, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicide attempt, and Violence

beesbookss's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Child abuse, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

katsbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

4.0

“Scared is what you're feeling. Brave is what you're doing.”

“Stories are a different kind of true.”

“I've seen the world and I'm tired now.”

I think it will come as no surprise that the most interesting part of this book is the point-of-view. I find it very compelling when authors use the perspectives of "innocents" like children to tell stories. It takes away some of the bias and assumptions that we have as the reader. And this novel goes even further by making the narrator incredibly young. Jack, the narrator, is just 5 years old and he's never known anything other than Room. Getting to experience the world for the first time through his eyes was so interesting and  provocative . My only major negative is also about the narrator, though. I've seen other people who've reviewed this book say that they found him annoying but for me, I just doubted that a 5 year old would be as articulate as he was sometimes portrayed. Granted, very few people can confirm or deny if it's actually possible but there were just instances when I felt like Jack was more articulate than any 5 year old would be even given the heinous and unique situation he was in. 

Given all that, this book was incredibly well written. The audiobook was incredibly well done. I really liked how the author didn't turn this into a run-of-the-mill true crime novel. The focus was 100% on Ma and Jack and how their characters grow and develop through the trauma of their ordeal. Old Nick, the perpetrator, is a part of the story, obviously, but he spends very little time on page. His backstory is never explained or rationalized and I love that. I am now very interested in seeing the film adaptation!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Grief, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Rape, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Pregnancy, Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Miscarriage, Medical content, and Cursing

Minor: Abortion, Excrement, and Self harm

plumquin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Vomit, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, and Excrement

Moderate: Addiction, Blood, Child death, Drug abuse, and Pregnancy

eve_o's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Miscarriage

Minor: Abandonment and Pregnancy

l3xi3's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Abortion, Blood, Confinement, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Vomit