Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

5 reviews

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

Definitely a fatiguing book but the kind of book you’d want to teach or take a class on. So much going on in here! People I rooted for despite myself, the goldfinch as an emblem, the psychological triggers for the choices made compulsively, the life of the painting and the parallels to the soul of the protagonist, ask the people we meet by chance and what that really means, etc. Long book worth every minute and every page.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Torture, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Addiction, Bullying, Confinement, Violence, Death, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Chronic illness, Xenophobia, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

annamiaswart's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, and Death of parent

takotsubo's review

challenging dark emotional tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Death of parent, Drug use, Chronic illness, and Mass/school shootings

devlev7's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

This book was so good, I didn’t want to let it go. I went back and listened to the last half hour again. I looked forward to listening to more every time I had to put it down. The story is full of twists and turns, memorable characters, and coincidences not quite close enough to magic to be entirely out of our reality. It gripped me. Much like Theo’s painting itself, the books grander themes were so well woven that they became visible only at the end, as one stepped back to view the whole piece. This is a book I’d highly recommend, have been sad to finish, and will think about for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, and Death of parent

Moderate: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, and Gun violence

lvr105's review against another edition

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

3.0

I found this book very compelling before the time jump - afterwards, I found myself frustrated with Theo’s character and less invested in the story. The prose is beautiful, but the plot tends to either drag on or rush through important moments. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Infidelity, and Forced institutionalization