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Reviews tagging 'Suicide'
Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster by Adam Higginbotham
16 reviews
corvidaeus's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Chronic illness, Death, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Terminal illness
Moderate: Animal death, Medical content, and Alcohol
zalouis's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Vomit, Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Cancer, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Terminal illness
Minor: Addiction, Child death, Infertility, and War
zakcebulski's review against another edition
5.0
Holy fucking hell, man.
This is my most confident 5 star in a long, long time.
I have always had a passing interest or fascination in the Chernobyl disaster, because of how it feels like something that would only happen in a movie, or television show- nothing that could possibly happen in real life.
After reading this book, I can confidently say that this is one of the scariest books that I have ever read on so many fronts.
This is an absolutely amazing read, and Adam Higgenbotham does an exquisite job of telling this story from the foundation of how Pripyat and the reactors. I cannot commend the author's ability to write nuclear fission in such a way that someone (me) who has no fucking clue as to anything to do with nuclear power can understand it.
This book absolutely reads like any of the best action movies with an air of thriller for extra spice.
I referenced this book being scary, and, I truly believe it is, on so many levels. The idea of radiation poisoning and the abject helplessness that people are against its effects is mortifying. Once someone has acute radiation sickness (ARS) they have a whole slew of symptoms wherein they are largely unable to combat it, is such a scary thought. The fact that it is an invisible enemy, where the only thing that people can do is keep an eye out for their radiation levels- it is incredible to me.
I think another wholly terrifying part of this book is it exposes the government bullshit and corruption that is so prevalent in the world. The fact that so many higher ups were so ready to minimize the impact and danger of this situation is stomach churning, especially when you realize that so many people needlessly perished and suffered more, because of gross negligence.
I think that this is one of the saddest books which I have read in a long time because of all of the instances wherein people are doing their best to try and stop a situation, and to have their actions result in their own demise, while also having them be in vain is so heart wrenching. How many government leaders minimized the detrimental impact of this event solely to save face for the USSR- it is sickening and resulted in the needless suffering of hundreds of thousands.
Throughout this book, I was constantly shocked at the ages of all of the directors and leaders- so many of them were mid 20s... as a 27 year old reading this book, I could no fathom being in the position wherein you know that you have absorbed too much radiation to be able to survive, and your death is sealed. I cannot understand or empathize with this, but, it shows that humans are strong animals.
Even after all of the government negligence and horror in this book and this event, I think the thing that shines through most brightly is the heroic efforts of normal people. People who knew that they were in an immense amount of danger, and still risked their lives for the betterment and prevention of the worsening of the lives of others. The fact that this event could have been so much worse than it was is already incredible to me, and it is through the efforts of people who wanted the best for their fellow people that they sacrificed their health and their lives. I think that it is these people who should be remembered, those who suffered needlessly and treated as sacrificial pawns in a game to save face for a crumbling empire.
What a read. Holy hell.
Graphic: Terminal illness, Death, Medical trauma, and Suicide
sepitz's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, and Medical content
Moderate: Gore and Cancer
Minor: Suicide and Suicide attempt
sonygaystation's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Grief, Medical content, and Terminal illness
Minor: Suicide and Suicide attempt
libraryghost's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Medical content
Moderate: Cancer
Minor: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Animal death, and Terminal illness