Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore

13 reviews

blewballoon's review

emotional lighthearted reflective sad slow-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

3.75

I enjoyed this book for the most part, but I did want something more from it. I feel like the "resolutions" to a couple of the characters plot-lines were unsatisfying, and since that's most of what the book has going for it in terms of story, that feels more significant than it might in a more plot heavy book. What the book does well is show a group of strangers coming together as true friends, which is a type of story that I eat up just about every time. I just had a few lingering doubts and concerns here that I would have rather been addressed better, and there were parts of the writing that felt a little too forced even for my sentimental soft heart. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Grief

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Medical content, Child death, and Terminal illness

Minor: Blood and Alcohol

bella613's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted slow-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

4.75

This was so good! 
It was kind of a random pick-up-and-read and I wasn't expecting much out of it, but it was a pleasant surprise from beginning to end. Stellar writing, lifelike characters, and well placed literary references. I want to join a book club now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Terminal illness, Death, Death of parent, and Medical content

Minor: Blood

kirstenpod_'s review

funny hopeful lighthearted 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? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Grief, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Child death

Minor: Medical content

earthie's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? Yes

4.25

I thought this book at first was going to be cheesy and fluffy with all the predictability of a washed romcom plot. Boy was I wrong. This book was heartwarming and heart wrenching at the same time in how it showed the unique sides of vulnerability that people hold and how there are such varied forms of facing those feelings, whether head-on or through deep and prompted self-processing.

This book drew me in unexpectedly, finishing it in less than 24 hours from when I started it. A heartwarming read, somewhat light and somewhat hard, but altogether interesting & full of wit. A book for those with a great love of books to find solace within its pages. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Terminal illness and Death of parent

Minor: Suicide attempt, Cancer, Stalking, Medical content, Abandonment, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Domestic abuse

savheath's review

adventurous emotional inspiring lighthearted 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Child death

Moderate: Terminal illness

kimveach's review

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

4.25

I picked this book up because it was set in Coeur d'Alene.  I didn't expect much, but it was a lovely story.  So glad I read it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Child death, Grief, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Cancer, and Terminal illness

chaoticenby's review

funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-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

4.25

Felt like I reflected and grew alongside the characters. Light, comforting read. I’m adding the last book they read together to my list. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, and Terminal illness

the_true_monroe's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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? Yes

5.0

This was one of the most heartwarming, relaxing and lighthearted (for the most part) books I ever read. I loved all of the major characters and how all of the lonely hearts found each other.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Grief, Bullying, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, and Child death

Minor: Cancer, Death of parent, Cursing, Medical trauma, Stalking, Alcohol, and Blood

emilywemily6's review

hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? Yes

4.25

I really enjoyed this book! There is an emotionally diverse cast of characters in a sweet found family environment. Arthur’s banter was witty and the use of books/book quotes was really entertaining and insightful. This felt like a more lighthearted and shallower version of A Man Called Ove, but it wasn’t shallow by any means. So many moments made me laugh or smile, and it was such a joy to read. I liked having different perspectives/voices, though I wish that there was more depth of character in each of them; a lot of the character development felt rushed. The ending of the book also felt abrupt, but didn’t end on a cliffhanger that implies a future book, so it just felt a little incomplete. 

This scapegoating or APS (Adult Protective Services) bothered me too, as someone who works in the medical field. Medical providers legally cannot force a patient to stay in the hospital/receive treatment so Arthur had every right to do as he wished. In all my healthcare experience with APS, APS only gets involved when someone is abusing/neglecting a vulnerable adult. As a competent human, Arthur can decide what he wants to do even if it is harmful for his health. So that part of the storyline irked me.

While a few of these characters have suffered death of loved ones, none of them has a truly troubled life. They are ordinary people with ordinary problems and ordinary loneliness, nothing super traumatic (like drug abuse, sexual assault, murder, extreme poverty, etc.) which made them relatable and easy to read about in a lighthearted way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying

Moderate: Medical content, Cursing, Terminal illness, and Grief

Minor: Child death, Death, and Death of parent

lusimusi's review

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

 This is the best books I've read in a while, I've enjoyed so much that I teared up at the end, my only wish is that there was an epilogue but I can't even complain because the last line has me in its grip.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Terminal illness, Death, and Cancer