Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Saving Noah by Lucinda Berry

9 reviews

turntsnacko27's review

challenging emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

I started reading this book knowing it would be sad. Although the ending is fairly predictable, reading it was extremely emotional. There are still a few good big plot twists that completely changed my outlook on parts throughout the whole book by the time they were revealed. 
The last few paragraphs of the final chapter had me needing to take breaks to take a breath and get a hold of myself to continue, they were so deeply emotional and a major conflict of feelings. 
Overall, incredible book. Only reason I give it slightly less than 5 stars is because I felt the first 1/3 ish to be a tad slower with lots of flashbacks and family history during a time I wanted to know more about the current timeline story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Grief, Physical abuse, Suicide, Mental illness, and Vomit

Minor: Incest, Rape, and Child abuse

zarakoconnor's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

1.0

I tried so hard to read this book without DNFing. The way she has written an unlikeable narrator was very successful, I absolutely hated this woman and what she thought and continuously believed. She makes her son the victim in this situation and this was disgusting to read. HOWEVER!!! The purpose of this book felt like it was intending to address stigma of pedophilia and the way sexual predators are treated by the community, and I absolutely agree that we as a society need to shift our thinking about this toward a harm reduction and mental health model, rather than carceral, as people deserve treatment. But this is not what she did!!!!

The ending implies that after all of the commentary about how he isn’t a monster, and all the excuses made for him by his mother and the caring professionals, he actually IS a monster and is irredeemable and will never get better so he should die

which absolutely adds to the stigma this author intended to challenge!! The notion that pedophiles are irredeemable is both dehumanising and makes this behaviour seem inevitable, with people being victimised because “that’s just what pedophiles do” rather than attempting to treat them and work on prevention.  Also, the chapters from his perspective lend me to believe that we are MEANT to sympathise with him and how poorly he was treated, which is not handled gracefully when the underaged victims in this book are downplayed and treated as dramatic for their trauma, but I’m supposed to be sympathetic of his trauma? This makes me so angry, and I do not understand the positive reviews. This book failed. Lucinda Berry, do more research on pedophilic disorder and treatments because it is clear you skimmed it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Vomit

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Grief

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

hauntedantiqueshop's review

challenging dark fast-paced

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

0.5

Hey, quick question. What the fuck was this??

The mom was so fucking insufferable, oh my god. It’s “yes my son did something terrible but can you PLEASE get over it?” every other sentence. I feel like this book tried very hard to garner support and sympathy for pedophiles, even making light of the molestation and that does not sit right with me. Perhaps I’m a bit of an extremist but I do think they should all d*e 🤭 btw, I didn’t appreciate the twist. The dad being a secret pedophile when he could have just been normal and against pedophilia and utterly disgusted with his child? Lame and he should have k*lled himself too.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Pedophilia, Self harm, Bullying, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use, Vomit, and Blood

Minor: Animal cruelty and Cancer

This entire book is about a pedophile, features a lot of brushing off/under reacting of the abuse, and almost victim blaming tbh.

incandescent_ink's review

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Rape, Violence, Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical content, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide, Mental illness, Vomit, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

corywbowers's review

challenging dark sad medium-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: Suicide attempt, Grief, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Sexual harassment, Gore, Forced institutionalization, Drug abuse, Child death, Vomit, Violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Mental illness, Incest, Bullying, and Child abuse

kiddocut's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.25

This book is not for everyone. Don’t go into it thinking there is a big twist once you read what the subject matter is-there is no twist.  That’s the point.

It’s one of the most challenging and upsetting things I’ve ever listened to and if you skip bits I don’t blame you-I had to skip some final chapters to “finish” this book. <specifically those associated with assisted suicide>

I think it takes great skill to write about this subject matter in a humanizing light without excusing the actions of the MC’s son. 

The point of the book is seeing her do everything she thinks she can to save her son from his own urges-even denying the truth or hoping it’s a mistake…and how that rips her family apart.  And yeah the MC does stupid and dangerously risky things to do that-but I can’t help but understand how hard it must be with the association of someone like her son. 

I think this book does a good job with the ripples of victimhood that the actions of the MC’s son actually does. That it affects every family member and how it affects them. And I think we forget that aspect of these kinds of crimes. 

If you can stomach it, (again, it’s not for the faint of heart) the change of perspective is interesting in and of itself.  

And as much as I like that, I do wish there was like a blurb or something about the research in this book-especially when it comes to the profiling efforts. It’s well researched but i still felt left hanging. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual content, Suicide, Self harm, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Chronic illness, Sexual violence, Stalking, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Medical content, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Incest, Bullying, Blood, and Adult/minor relationship

Don’t go into this thinking there is a twist like I did-I was mislead by a friend suggestion, there *is* a slight one, but it’s so minuscule and misleading that it’s a pseudo twist that has no affect on the MC or her son.

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad 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

5.0

I’ve never read anything like this before. It is the most loving and most self-hating book I’ve ever read. It was full of compassion and contempt. It was a point of view I’ve never considered. I’m grateful to have read it, and I think it’ll make me more mindful before I judge anyone again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Suicide, Bullying, Grief, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

carmena's review

challenging dark emotional sad

4.0

This was a tough read 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Sexual violence and Sexual assault

goodgollymissmollee's review

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

4.5

Oh. My. Gosh. This book HURT. 

I felt extremely conflicted and it really made me think what would I do if I were in Noah’s mom’s position?  The answer is that I don’t know. All I know is that this book truly broke my heart. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, and Panic attacks/disorders