Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet by John Green

30 reviews

trueveracity's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Medical trauma, Chronic illness, Grief, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

redrosemoth's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Child death, Medical trauma, Death, Medical content, and Mental illness

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, Chronic illness, and Vomit

mattiedancer's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

Note: I cannot possibly review John Green’s work in a way that doesn’t sound biased, which is natural as I am biased towards it. I’ve been a fan of him since before I knew he was an author, as I used to watch his YouTube series with his brother (called Vlogbrothers) regularly. 

Writing: 5⭐️/5 

I love John Green’s writing, so this is a very biased review on this part. His writing style is very similar to my inner monologue at times (or how I hope my inner monologue would sound if it were an outer monologue). It reads effortlessly and smoothly, with some simply gorgeous passages. The writing is both funny, poignant, and serious when necessary, but woven with a beautiful thread of hope. 

Approach: 5⭐️/5

The book itself deals with a number of different human aspects: some are funny, others series, a few trivial, and others repulsive. And yet, Green approaches it in the most stunning ways. He is direct with the content when necessary and slightly evasive at other times, yet always with a frankness that respects the review-like structure. 

Content: 5⭐️/5

It’s about life. The littlest and largest aspects of life itself. If you’re unfamiliar with the work or thing being reviewed, then Green does a wonderful job of breaking it down without patronizing the audience. 

Post-Reading Rating:  5⭐️/5

I cried. I laughed. I wept. Expect it all. 

Who Should Read This? 

• People who looking for a little hope within a realistic worldview
• Fans of John Green
• Fans of fun essays and non-fiction collections
• Nerdfighteria 

Final Rating: 5⭐️/5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Grief, and Chronic illness

lindsayerin's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness

Minor: Chronic illness and Medical trauma

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

 - Honestly, who gave John Green the right? Who let him make me experience the fullness of the human condition via audiobook?
- So many essays in this book had me thinking, oh this will be silly. Rating the Disney Hall of Presidents? This will be a laugh. Yes, but then he'll take a roundabout through a seemingly unrelated anecdote and suddenly you're crying while commuting to work.
- I do think a lot of the power of this book comes from the fact that Green wrote much of it during the early stages of the pandemic, and he frequently references that in the text. But it also adds more layers to the essays, helping to bring our current moment into the context of the whole of human history (whether or not that makes you feel better about the state of things...I'm not sure).
- I do recommend the audiobook for this, as Green puts so much emotion into his reading. Plus, you must hear the call of the extinct bird included in one of the essays. I hear the print version has additional notes, though, so I'll be checking that out as well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Animal death, Chronic illness, Classism, Colonisation, Genocide, Grief, Violence, Alcohol, Cancer, Death, Vomit, and Mental illness

catphilli's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.5

What an unexpected treat of a book. I think people tend to pretty quickly discount John Green’s writing because they associate it with the female teen fanfare surrounding his other fiction novels and their associated book to film/tv adaptations. I’ll admit I’d fallen into the trap myself. But this book was surprisingly nuanced and truthful and a fantastic balance of contemplative and considered while also maintains a lightheartedness and genuine tone throughout. Would highly recommend the audiobook as its narrated by Green himself and I think he really brings his personal anecdotes to life in a visual and engaging way. Like I said - I didn’t expect to like it quite as much as I did (I intend on getting a physical copy purely so I can highlight and underline to my hearts content) and I think it’s one I’ll be mentioning to people in future. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness and Mental illness

mackenzierittner's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Mental illness, and Cancer

scruffie's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I could hear John's voice in my head while reading this book. Simultaneously sad and anxious and hopeful, it felt very comforting to me; exactly what I needed right now. Medium-paced most of the time, but also slow-paced, on occasion.

Probably like others before me, I give the Anthropocene Reviewed five stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Genocide, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, and Body horror

Moderate: Antisemitism and Terminal illness

Minor: Vomit, Slavery, Colonisation, Islamophobia, Drug use, and War

anniefwrites's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

 This book accomplishes so much. It's imbued with the same care and thoughtfulness that Green has used to make YouTube videos for many years. He captures a sliver of the human experience yet showcases its beautiful, terrible, ephemeral nature. When the big things in life were overwhelming me, this book focusing on small things and small experiences was a welcome respite. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning about both important events and useless trivia, to anyone struggling to get back into reading (the essays are short and easily absorbed), and to anyone who is tired of toxic positivity when they are feeling down. This book felt like someone sitting beside you when you're hurting and just being there. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Child death, Death, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Terminal illness

robiok's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Genocide, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Panic attacks/disorders