Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

The Women by Kristin Hannah

184 reviews

booklvrkat's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

“The women had a story to tell, even if the world wasn't quite yet ready to hear it, and their story began with three simple words. We were there.” 

 

How do you write about a story that is so excellent, one that is jammed in your brain, which was considered a book club read for the #governerdbookclub, and emotionally jolted you into the past? I have been pondering on this for a week now, and I still don’t have the answer, so I will offer you my reasons that you should read it, and my feelings on the story. 

 

·         Historical Fiction that reads like a true account 

·         Vietnam War, behind the scenes of a hospital 

·         Women in the war, particularly the nurses 

·         The absolute profound descriptions of the MCs life before and after 

 

Truly, I will recommend this story to anyone that needs something new in their reading life, to bump you out of a slump, and to remind you that women have come a long way since this war. Women stand for plenty in this country, this book proves it, and we need to stand strong for everything they did for this nation. I could pick up this book, pick a chapter, and fall right back into the story, Kristin Hannah blew it out of the park for me, and I was already a fan. 

 

“Women can be heroes.” 

 

CW/TW: War, Violence, Addictions, Miscarriage, Suicide Attempt, Infidelity 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Violence, and War

Moderate: Addiction

Minor: Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Infertility, Suicide attempt, and Miscarriage

esjackson's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Car accident, Grief, Violence, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Gore, Gun violence, Cursing, Suicide, Addiction, Child death, Alcohol, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Medical content, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Vomit, War, and Self harm

Moderate: Classism, Vomit, and Cancer

Minor: Torture, Hate crime, Abortion, and Police brutality

bearybooky's review

dark emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

It was difficult to read but im glad i did. Vietnam happened before i was born and i dont know much about it. Now i know more. 

It was very sad. So many bad things happen to the main character i was beginning to lose interest and hope. But there is just enough redemption. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexism, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Racial slurs, War, Violence, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Murder, Alcohol, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Sexual content and Pregnancy

gerikrempa1's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

so well written, i loved this book as so many do.  involves love, friendship, loss, family, hope and redemption to name  a few. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Sexism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Addiction, Blood, Death, and Medical trauma

Minor: Toxic relationship and Suicidal thoughts

ashdoesalot's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Body horror, War, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Medical trauma, Death, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Miscarriage

Minor: Self harm, Torture, Gun violence, Vomit, and Suicidal thoughts

sour_tangent's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative 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

Wow! Seriously. Wow!

My Dad was POW in Vietnam, was captured during the Tet Offensive & spent time at the Hanoi Hilton. Both my grandmothers were combat nurses during Vietnam & my Dad's Mom worked for The League of POW/MIA Families after her return. I understand so much more now 😭

My Mom read this book 1st, then my Dad & now I have. My Dad says that Kristin Hannah's descriptions of places he's been were "extraordinarily accurate" & how she wrote the war & the aftermath, when they returned was "excruciatingly well written". He said the book was hard to read at times due to painful memories but also very healing. It was the best of times & the worst of times.

I feel like this book was written for me, but im not narcissist enough to "actually" believe that, but I needed this book more than I will ever realize. Her characters were heartbreakingly real & I felt every word & every painfully real moment. I've never cried so much from a book & even after finishing a book. I know these characters & I've now seen these places because of Kristin's amazing storytelling. 

This book is one of the absolute best books I've ever read!! Get a box of tissues... or maybe 3 & strap in for a journey you'll never forget. This book made its spot on my top shelf that I reserved for my favorites & ones I will reread again & again. 👏bravo👏 standing ovation 👏 someone make this into a series because it's too much for a movie & it needs to be told. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Sexism, Medical trauma, Death, Addiction, Mental illness, War, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Medical content, Misogyny, Racism, and Self harm

It's a very descriptive telling of Women Nurses in Vietnam War

leslie_overbookedsocialworker's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Addiction, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Grief, Medical content, Miscarriage, Drug abuse, Death, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Medical trauma

oproy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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

3.75

I will say, the last 10% of the book had me crying and questioning life. But the first 50-90% was hard to get through. It was a lot of muck, and I felt that Frances had to go through almost too much hurt. It felt unnecessary.

Like I would have believed her trauma after the first death.  I also did not like how quickly the author tried to characterize her at the end as an old spinster.  It was just such a quick turnaround after 200 pages of war, and 200 pages of Frankie spiraling.

 
Overall, I honestly probably would not recommend this book because it is so heavy and at points a little too preachy for my taste. However, the setting and idea behind it is very interesting and definitely something I want to look into further after reading. Even in school, I don’t feel that I learned much about the Vietnam War let alone the women in the war, so this feels like a jumping board. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, War, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Death, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Alcohol, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Gore, Body horror, Car accident, Medical content, Suicide, Blood, and Child death

shaney_swift's review

dark emotional sad 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexism, Blood, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Drug abuse, Car accident, War, and Death

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Addiction, and Alcoholism

chelse34's review against another edition

3.0

Man the Vietnam war was complicated. Lots of opinions about it and the people who fought in it. Learned a lot about that aspect. 

I had flashes throughout the book that reminded me of the movie "Pearl Harbor" but in Vietnam and in a book. Little plot similarities. 

I felt that one of the characters made the same mistake multiple times because the person didn't learn the first time. And it kept happening with different dumb mistakes! Learn your lesson girl! So deja vu a bit there. 

There's lots of content in this book that was difficult, but didn't bother me while reading it, namely: PTSD after the war, substance abuse, mass casualties and war injuries. 

There was some content that did bother me while reading, namely: lots of swearing (guess that's war for you), adultery, and fornication. Nothing was too graphic in the book, but there were some sex scene details I could have lived without. Wished she would have cut the scene sooner. 

Hannah is an amazing story teller. I give her that. There were parts I enjoyed in the book and things I didn't. So 3 star average rating I'd say. Not my favorite book of hers, but not my least favorite. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical trauma, Drug use, Addiction, Sexual content, Mental illness, War, Pregnancy, Child death, Car accident, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, Alcoholism, Death, Cursing, and Medical content