Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

101 reviews

brokenjac's review against another edition

emotional sad fast-paced

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

3.75

This book, to me, is a bit of a peculiarity. I was swept away in the first chunk with the romantic literature but got severely and irreparably lost between 30 and 60 percent of the way through. The end uplifted the experience and garnered a reaction, but I feel that has more to do with a connection to the themes more so than the merit of the structure. Many of the characters are lacking in a greater complexity, the spanning cast consuming the ability for characters to earn depth beyond their basis. Much of the dealing with mental illness felt disconnected from truth. Although I cannot profess a greater understanding of it, many of the characters reactions were harmful and never fully or outright corrected. Further, the healing process contained some professions than disrupted my ability to immerse myself in the story as they pulled less at the character and more at the novels threads. The result is a sweeping story that loses its characters in the narrative it tries to weave. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide attempt, and Cancer

lexcellent's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Cancer, Child death, Death, Grief, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Car accident, Racism, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia

morgan_leopold's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Cancer and Mental illness

Minor: Death of parent and Death

susan_and_shep_13's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

I originally gave this book 5 stars but thinking back this is probably more of a 4 star for me.  At the time of reading, though,  it is exactly what I wanted...a good old fashioned family saga. The publisher has likened it to a "Little Women" "retelling" or influenced by Little Women. That is not accurate at all. It is a story of 4 sisters but beyond that the similarities end. Some of the characters are infuriating and others are more in the background but still quietly having an influence. There is part of the story that revolves around one character that has made her choices and her stubbornness to rethink some of them for the sake of her daughter is tiresome. Overall a good book...but not great. I read this for my IRL book club, The Page Turners. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Cancer, and Death

Minor: Death of parent

vanessatombolini's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Death of parent, Child death, Cancer, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Pregnancy, Grief, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Chronic illness, Cursing, Abandonment, Child abuse, Homophobia, Classism, Mental illness, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, Sexual content, Medical content, Sexual harassment, War, and Infidelity

imustich's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Self harm, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Terminal illness, Cancer, Lesbophobia, Death of parent, Death, and Pregnancy

jenmtnbike's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Cancer, and Death

megrum22's review against another edition

emotional hopeful slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer and Suicide attempt

megreads12's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Mental illness, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Abandonment and Lesbophobia

Minor: Child death and Car accident

flowchelle's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

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

3.5

I didn’t know what to expect with this book but I’d seen it on a ton of reading lists. Having read it now, I’m not sure why it is so popular. Is it because of the nod to little women? I enjoyed the flow of the story through multiple characters perspectives but got bored often with the lack of actual happening besides giant family drama moments. I wanted there to be some more meat to who these people were and some more dimension to their lives! But overall, I did enjoy the weaving of their lives and eventual promise of love that they all eventually come to know! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Cancer, Death of parent, Death, Mental illness, and Abandonment