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Reviews tagging 'Cancer'
The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters by Balli Kaur Jaswal
9 reviews
fkshg8465's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
informative
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? No
3.0
A very nice book, and it’s always fun to read books set in places I’ve already been, but that’s all I can really say about it. The drama wasn’t really dramatic. I guess it’s the kind of book that mirrors the kind of life I like living. A few tense moments, but they were really resolved.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Grief, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Death of parent, Infertility, Pregnancy, and Abortion
drawmeabookreview's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Gaslighting and Infertility
Minor: Terminal illness, Cancer, and Suicide
suz_n_van's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Infertility, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Abortion, and Suicide
dominic_t's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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
I loved Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows, and I loved this one as well.
This is a story about a complicated family. It brings to mind the Leo Tolstoy quote from Anna Karenina: "All happy families are alike, but every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." The Shergills are a uniquely unhappy family. The three sisters are only left with each other after their mother dies, and their underlying conflicts immediately start bubbling to the surface after they head to India to fulfill their mother's last wish. They are all keeping secrets from each other because they don't trust the others to understand. They have a lot of baggage from a difficult childhood, and they judge each other's adult choices.
The pacing of this was excellent. There are hints about the secrets that the sisters are hiding, and the buildup pays off. The revelations are spaced out well to keep the reader engaged.
This is a really great book.
This is a story about a complicated family. It brings to mind the Leo Tolstoy quote from Anna Karenina: "All happy families are alike, but every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." The Shergills are a uniquely unhappy family. The three sisters are only left with each other after their mother dies, and their underlying conflicts immediately start bubbling to the surface after they head to India to fulfill their mother's last wish. They are all keeping secrets from each other because they don't trust the others to understand. They have a lot of baggage from a difficult childhood, and they judge each other's adult choices.
The pacing of this was excellent. There are hints about the secrets that the sisters are hiding, and the buildup pays off. The revelations are spaced out well to keep the reader engaged.
This is a really great book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Cancer, and Domestic abuse
Moderate: Abortion and Animal cruelty
calireisreading's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault
Moderate: Abortion, Sexual harassment, Cancer, and Death of parent
mandkips's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Abortion
Moderate: Grief and Infertility
Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, and Domestic abuse
bibliophilicemily's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abortion, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Cancer
abbie_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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
I picked up The Unlikely Adventures of the Shergill Sisters and was immediately hooked! I devoured 200 pages of it on Sunday and finished it last night, it’s a really addictive read with a good mix of character development and page-turning plot.
.
It follows three British-born Punjabi sisters who are undertaking a journey to India at their mother’s last request. Anyone who loves books centred around sibling relationships, especially sisterhood, is bound to enjoy this one! All three sisters are very different and all are burdened with secrets and troubles they’re trying to keep hidden from one another.
.
One of the things I enjoyed most about this book was how Jaswal explored the disconnect between the sisters’ Punjabi heritage and the country they grew up in. At one point, Rajni, oldest by around a decade, talks about how she spent her teenage years trying to quash her culture and fit in with white western ideals while still being subjected to racist remarks from her peers. But by the time her sisters were that age, on the other hand, being of a different ethnicity was considered ‘trendy’.
.
I’m not sure it’s one I’ll remember forever, but it pulled me out of my binge-watch hangover and for that I am grateful!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Terminal illness
whatannikareads's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5/5!
i thought this was such a lovely emotional story about sisterhood, womanhood, and motherhood. this book takes you on a not-so-perfect journey around india, in the efforts to fulfill these three sisters' mother's last wish for them. but the sisters aren't close—both for current reasons and for troubles in their childhood, and the journey becomes a test to see how long they can last this trip.
i really enjoyed how the conflicts of the sisters' traumas and current situations unravels. each sister is really well-developed and feel like real people. it's also a lovely little travel escape since we're all stuck at home (although it does have the irritating elements of family vacations we're all familiar with). i teared up towards the end bc women are so strong and can get through it if we listen and support each other!!!
it's not a straight 5 bc there is one relationship that i couldn't get myself to justify, and i felt that the mother's reaction to it was reasonable bc i really don't think it was ok even in real life ****POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT***** the age difference was too much for me and if it the genders were flipped we would NOT be having it, so i think that bit was a little unnecessary.
other than that, it was a really nice story that i think you'd enjoy if you have sisters, if you're first gen (especially first gen Indian), and/or if you're coping with the loss of a loved one.
i thought this was such a lovely emotional story about sisterhood, womanhood, and motherhood. this book takes you on a not-so-perfect journey around india, in the efforts to fulfill these three sisters' mother's last wish for them. but the sisters aren't close—both for current reasons and for troubles in their childhood, and the journey becomes a test to see how long they can last this trip.
i really enjoyed how the conflicts of the sisters' traumas and current situations unravels. each sister is really well-developed and feel like real people. it's also a lovely little travel escape since we're all stuck at home (although it does have the irritating elements of family vacations we're all familiar with). i teared up towards the end bc women are so strong and can get through it if we listen and support each other!!!
it's not a straight 5 bc there is one relationship that i couldn't get myself to justify, and i felt that the mother's reaction to it was reasonable bc i really don't think it was ok even in real life ****POTENTIAL SPOILER ALERT***** the age difference was too much for me and if it the genders were flipped we would NOT be having it, so i think that bit was a little unnecessary.
other than that, it was a really nice story that i think you'd enjoy if you have sisters, if you're first gen (especially first gen Indian), and/or if you're coping with the loss of a loved one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Medical content, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship
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