Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

22 reviews

torikate7's review

funny hopeful medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death of parent, Grief, Death, and Car accident

Moderate: Drug abuse, Alcohol, and Addiction

Minor: Infidelity, Medical content, and Sexual content

erikagibson126's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Grief, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, and Car accident

Moderate: Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, and Homophobia

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

sareidle's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Terminal illness

diana_raquel's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

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

4.5

“Grief orbits the heart. Some days the circle is greater. Those are the good days. You have room to move and dance and breathe. Some days the circle is tighter. Those are the hard ones.”

The Guncle follows the story of Patrick, or Gay Uncle Patrick, when he has to take care of Maisie and Grant, his niece and nephew, after tragedy strikes. And despite having a set of “Guncle Rules”, Patrick has no idea what to expect, having spent years barely holding on after the loss of his great love, a somewhat-stalled career, and a lifestyle not-so-suited to a six- and a nine-year-old.

I really loved this story! Its a story about grief and loss, but its also about hope and recovery. I loved every bit of it and couldn't put it down! Truly recommend it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Death of parent, Car accident, and Medical content

Moderate: Cancer, Addiction, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, and Sexual content

kickitupanotch7's review against another edition

emotional funny 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

It took a couple of chapters for me to get into it but I’m glad I stuck with it. This book was funny and unique and had such tremendous character growth throughout the course of the summer. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction, Terminal illness, Cancer, and Car accident

Minor: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical content

avisreadsandreads's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Grief

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Car accident, and Terminal illness

Minor: Addiction, Medical content, and Vomit

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Grief, and Medical content

Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Cancer, Confinement, Drug abuse, Racism, Alcohol, Drug use, Terminal illness, Addiction, and Sexual assault

Minor: Child death, Gaslighting, Genocide, Abandonment, Colonisation, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Outing, Bullying, Child abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual content, Stalking, Xenophobia, and Religious bigotry

znvisser's review

emotional reflective fast-paced

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

2.5

I was expecting some sort of character study with emotional highs and lows and compared to that this was a bit… smoothed out? Somewhat ironically, the plot has a typical Hollywood film structure with out-of-nowhere twists and an unnecessary enemy, except each problem blew over quickly without actually  being completely resolved? The historical family dynamics were underexplored while they could have added some depth. There were some profound moments with the children which I enjoyed but it seemed mostly written just to be tied up in a nice bow. This wasn’t my cup of tea but probably a satisfying feel-good story for those who do enjoy such pacing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction

Minor: Medical content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, and Car accident

alliemikennareads's review against another edition

funny hopeful reflective sad 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

5.0

This book is such a beautiful depiction of growing around grief and finding your way back to yourself. It is equal parts funny, heartwarming and witty, with deeply likable characters and a fun plot. Patrick is the guncle we all wish we had, even when it takes him awhile to realize it. I really loved this and am so glad I waited to read it until I needed a book like it, because I felt it so much more. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Car accident, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Addiction, Cancer, and Medical content

thatswhatshanread's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

3.5

Well, it took me about 5 years to finish this novel due to a very annoying reading slump, but after finally hitting the story’s stride with the second half, I’m happy to report I did enjoy it. It felt like the very depth of a proper embrace—comforting but yet all consuming. It was not necessarily a funny book like I expected, but more of an introspective look at grief and the different ways we cope with it. In Guncle Patrick’s case that often did include comedy, but also fury and sadness and absurdity and care. Patrick’s relationship with his niece and nephew is the star of the story, but his relationship with everyone in his life, past and present, is unveiled through his love of and life with the children. 

This a book about family and dreams, and how you should never give up on either of them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Death, Alcohol, Death of parent, Car accident, Drug use, and Grief

Moderate: Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Blood, and Abandonment