Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

61 reviews

mallorypen's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

I always worry that nonfiction books will be dry and boring, but I am delighted to be wrong with this - deeply disturbing in parts, heart wrenching in others, but with no lack of joy, this story was told in a delightfully human way. Rebecca Skloot took a TON of heavy and dense information and laid it out in an easy-to-follow way.

It surprised me that there aren’t any laws in the use of human cells yet; the ramifications of the scientific uses (and financial gains) were illustrated so thoroughly here that it feels ludicrous to not have addressed it by 2009. It’s my homework now to see if anything has changed now by 2023.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Racism, Medical content, Body horror, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

arttichokedipp's review against another edition

challenging informative sad slow-paced

2.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Medical content, Grief, Classism, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Violence, Pregnancy, and Mental illness

msoul13's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Panic attacks/disorders, Cancer, Terminal illness, and Medical content

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, and Death

Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, Mental illness, and Sexism

aubreystrawberry's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Cancer, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Incest, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Racism, Sexual harassment, Chronic illness, Sexual assault, Child death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Suicide, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Racial slurs, and Addiction

jodean's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Ableism, Racism, Terminal illness, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Gore, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Blood

Moderate: Physical abuse, Infertility, Cursing, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Infidelity

Minor: Kidnapping, Gun violence, and Suicide

emilymhb's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.25

Wow, wow, wow. I am not normally a nonfiction gal but this book blew me away. I am so thankful that I get to live in a world where HeLa cells were discovered, despite the personal cost her family incurred. This book was beautiful.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Child abuse, Child death, Medical content, Physical abuse, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, and Murder

crabbytaco's review against another edition

emotional informative sad medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Medical content

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

Minor: Pregnancy and Racism

kk_gotit_goinon's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

5.0

This book is a must read for anyone who wants to go into science or medicine. The wrongs can't be undone but by bringing it to light we can create better scientists, doctors, and people in general. 

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Classism, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Racism

kermitcaroline's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

I was not expecting this book to be so great. Very informative about the life of Henrietta and her children. This is a must read for anyone in STEM research 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Cancer, Racism, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Medical trauma, and Medical content

micklesreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

This book was fascinating and really centered the Lacks family, which I loved. I sometimes felt like the descriptions of Deborah were exploitative; I would like to have seen more nuance there. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Torture, Cancer, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Incest, and Pedophilia