Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Women by Kristin Hannah

207 reviews

bringmybooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.75

✨Bring✨ | Borrow | Bypass

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, & Macmillan for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This in no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

Review: One of my favorite authors, Kristin Hannah continues to prove that she has an unbelievable way with words. It's unbelievable how quickly she sucks you into a novel and makes you care so much about all of the characters. There are parts of her books (especially her more recent ones) that are a bit melodramatic and require a bit of suspended disbelief, but to be honest I don't know that it bothers me so much. 

While there is a bit of heightened drama on the interpersonal side, the research and care that Hannah provides to the historical aspects of her novels is top tier and so welcomed. I feel like I learned a ton about the Vietnam War that I was not aware of before (mostly the women's experience of it), and I was very grateful for this book so that I could do more of my own research. 

I did really enjoy the characters in this novel, even when they're making the most piss poor decisions - but my favorite part of the novels, and pretty much all of Hannah's novels, is the way she writes relationships between women. I do think this book is her penultimate example of that, and the relationships between the Frankie and her two best friends will stick with me for a long time.
 

Overall Rating: ★★★★★ / 4.63 
 
Rating each element of the book out of 5★ 
Characters ★★★★ 
Atmosphere ★★★★★ 
Writing ★★★★ 
Plot ★★★★ 
Intrigue ★★★★ 
Logic ★★★★ 
Enjoyment ★★★★ 
Pacing ★★★★ 
Dialogue ★★★★ 

★ did not like / ★★ it was okay / ★★★ liked it / ★★★★ really liked it / ★★★★★ loved it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Drug abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Addiction, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, Infertility, Torture, Miscarriage, Murder, Child death, Cursing, Drug use, Pregnancy, War, Alcoholism, Cancer, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Self harm, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

ashrad's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-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

2.0

2 stars because I finished it, but it’s not for me. I felt compelled to finish it- who knows why!? It was too sad and too long. I really didn’t like any of the characters. There were moments that made me tear up a bit because of (what I’m assuming is) historically accurate depictions of how veterans and veteran women were treated after coming home from Vietnam and all the fallout of the terrible atrocities they witnessed.

The fact that not one, but two, of Frankie’s loves were presumed dead and were actually alive really had me rolling my eyes. I also hated that so much time in the second half was spent on Rye… would have been great if that part of the book didn’t exist. Like I get she had to “hit rock bottom” but don’t you think all the trauma she experienced (literally the entire book) was enough to get there? And then when Jamie showed up at the end… Come on… 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Violence, Child death, Death, Medical content, War, Grief, Gore, and Addiction

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Miscarriage, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Car accident

jeggert10's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Toxic relationship, Child death, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Alcohol, Drug abuse, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Pregnancy, Racism, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Cursing, and Miscarriage

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Abortion, Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, Police brutality, and Rape

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

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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. 

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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

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

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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. 

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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

christinedavid17's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Drug abuse, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, War, Alcohol, Miscarriage, and Death

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Addiction, and Alcoholism

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

mountainstobeach's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-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

5.0

This is my favorite of the Kristin Hannah books that I have read. The topic is very relevant and important  and she does a good job bringing serious issues to light in a serious way. There are moments of levity and hope in the book but overall, it feels very real and poignant.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Medical content, Drug use, Hate crime, Gore, Blood, War, Miscarriage, Car accident, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, and Grief