Reviews tagging 'Abortion'

City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert

10 reviews

joanna_banana's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

3.0

I had checked this out of the library several weeks before I started it. Then I got COVID! It was the perfect book to listen to while resting. I didn’t really like Vivian, though I thoroughly enjoyed the narration and was pleased to see that Blair Brown won an Audie for this. The pacing overall seemed a little off - deeply detailed in NYC for the first half or so and then kinda mixed pacing for the rest, you’d get into dialogue and heart wrenching details, and then zoom back out to narration to Angela. I enjoyed the last part, but again, it was odd to have something like 60 years of life covered so quickly. She also got into these monologues on topics like her sex life when she is older and I thought that was too much or could have been woven into the conversations better. And some characters just drop off! Becomes all about Vivian. Overall, I was entertained and the novel offers some thoughtful perspective on the expectations of young women in the 1940s and how that changed or did not change through the decades. I felt like Vivian was fairly self-aware by then end, but also still quite proud and vain in an annoyingly forced way. So, I guess it was just inconsistent for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Sexism, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and War

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infidelity, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Antisemitism, Racial slurs, Biphobia, Sexual violence, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Pregnancy, Abortion, Car accident, and Mental illness

ariannalane's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual content, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Infidelity, Pregnancy, War, Mental illness, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Abortion and Addiction

Minor: Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse

christina85's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Sexual content, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Grief

Minor: Toxic relationship and War

lindsey_bear's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

Wow! I enjoyed every word of this one—Gilbert so eloquently wove historical fiction themes of feminism, WWII, NYC showgirl culture in a way that made it feel relevant to you. This book is for any woman who wants to read a strikingly honest and believable, but also adventurous coming-of-age story. A huge theme was female friendship, and this was emphasised in the end as Vivian reflects on the many friendships we get engulfed in throughout the novel. It genuinely feels like you’re learning Vivian’s lessons with her, in real time. I cannot recommend this one enough, and am so glad I took the chance on a book that normally isn’t my preferred genre. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Grief, Abortion, Addiction, Sexism, Sexual assault, War, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Outing, and Sexual content

greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Sexual content, Infidelity, Alcohol, Abortion, Body shaming, Mental illness, Pregnancy, War, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Misogyny

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny lighthearted reflective 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? Yes

4.25

I enjoyed this very much and moved through it quickly. Ms. Gilbert has quite a knack for fiction, which surprised me a little because not everyone can do both fiction and non-fiction so well. A fun tale of the young and stupid days of our 20s, and the selfishness that keeps us alive. Also very interesting look at the impact of war.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Pregnancy, War, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Addiction, Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Bullying, Classism, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, and Death

Minor: Abortion

aidrielle's review against another edition

adventurous reflective slow-paced

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

1.5

lesson learned. i really should read synopses more closely next time. if i knew this book was about a rich spoiled (STRAIGHT!) white girl and her rich spoiled straight white girl problems during ww2 in america, i probably wouldn't have read it. went on way too long and for what!!! i'd feel sorry for angela for having to read all that if i wasn't so disgusted by her choice of wedding dress (even though it was all the main character's fault). that was truly vile. no idea how i managed to finish this book when i found about 90% of it so unlikable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, War, Alcoholism, and Misogyny

Moderate: Classism, Cultural appropriation, Abortion, and Alcoholism

hannakutlu's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Abortion, Alcoholism, Cursing, and Panic attacks/disorders

laurenw's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book started off as a fun romp, and then slowly drew me deeper into its world and characters. Vivian is such a human character, wonderfully scuplted, and her life's story provided much entertainment. Reading this was like making a new friend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and War

Moderate: Death of parent, Antisemitism, Classism, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, and Death

Minor: Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, and Terminal illness

witmol's review against another edition

funny hopeful 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

Vivian receives news from a friend's daughter, Angela. Angela's mother has passed and Angela now wants to know: "who were you to my father?". The framing story means this novel is ostensibly a long letter in response that works as part-'How I met your father' and part-memoir. On one hand this device feels gimmicky, but on the other, it's a great way to focus the parts of the story that will lead to both the identity of Angela's father and the salient parts of Viv's life that intersects with his.

The first two-thirds of the book therefore feel over-indulgent as Viv reminisces about her youth. Gilbert makes certain that all the threads of this pre-WWII segment do actually connect with the character in question, entertainingly so, but in some regards it's easy to lose the facade of a letter in its lengthy diversions. This is not to say the novel lags. It canters along with Gilbert delivering vivid prose, and a distinct sense of place. While we don't get to 'see' much of New York through descriptions, we 'feel' it through a young Vivian instead. 

When we do get to Viv meeting Angela's father, by comparison it feels anti-climactic. Viv has already described other characters in such great detail and with some effervescence that this character, while well drawn, feels distant and ancillary rather than central to her life. In short, the narrative here feels as if Viv is trying to convince us (and Angela) that her father was one of the most important figures in her life. It's the 'trying to convince' part that grates especially, particularly as the denouement does have a deep and abiding message about the nature of friendship and the value of being with someone and accepting the truth of each other without judgement.

Gilbert's expert handling of plot and pace, together with her witty writing, however, do make this a worthwhile read, and I'm more than pleased that she continues to write interesting female characters who do not need a partner to make them interesting. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Sexual content, War, and Alcohol