Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

91 reviews

mishaalalala's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

Ishiguro's tale is reflective and does an excellent job at examining what gives our lives substance, as human beings. Through the narration of Kathy H, we get an insight into love, loss and the value of memories. 
The novel did fall a bit flat for me in terms of world building - the reader is pretty much in the dark the entire time, despite many hints being dropped throughout the novel. We're never fully aware of what's going on. 
I also wasn't the biggest fan of Kathy herself, her character was flawed and while I understand that it was crucial to the plot. I did find myself incredibly irritated with her.
Overall, it is a novel that does make you think for a while, despite it being challenging to get through.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical trauma, Bullying, Death, Toxic friendship, and Forced institutionalization

emequalsme's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical trauma and Toxic friendship

caitlin_123a's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, Bullying, Ableism, and Infertility

aliyas_encanto's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

What does it really mean to be human? To love? This story tore my heart out and made me really think about how special a life can be. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical trauma, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Grief

abmochapman's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

Much like Klara and the Sun, this novel is a slowly unraveling dystopia where horrifying truths lay just underneath a sweet narrative about love and friendship. Yet, where Never Let Me Go is differs is that it is unrelenting. It squashes any possible hope, leaving the reader heartbroken and with as little choice in the matter as its characters. 
 
Kazuo Ishiguro’s talent is making the most disturbing reality feel almost normal — but what is even more terrifying than that is the thought that if it was our reality, it would probably feel normal to us, too.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Death, Medical trauma, Body horror, and Bullying

sorkka's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Slavery, Infertility, Classism, Emotional abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Sexual content

stutee's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content and Medical trauma

ginbat's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

Beautifully sad, unique. I grew to appreciate this writing style and think it would very well. This book made be feel sad and angry, and I feel like it's a better for a few things. I guess that's what makes it a "good" book. It doesn't make me feel good things, but it does make me feel things.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness

Moderate: Body horror, Death, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, and Confinement

Minor: Torture, Child abuse, and Medical content

scytheria's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Medical content, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, and Medical trauma

Minor: Homophobia and Infertility

danicakvcs's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Ableism, Chronic illness, Medical content, Death, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Infertility, Blood, and Body horror