Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling

73 reviews

lionfish_22's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Medical content, Gore, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Self harm

Minor: Alcohol and Drug use

peregrinwho's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

It's been a few weeks since I finished this, and I haven't stopped thinking about this book since picking it up. Immediate new favorite. The romance is instantly believable and blush-inducing, the characters are perfect manifestations/carriers of the themes, and the layers of mystery kept getting unfolded like pulling back sheets on the bed knowing you'll end up feeling cold and helpless but you have to in order to release the uncomfortable heat.
Fantastic pacing, harrowing imagery, enchanting insights, and one of the most horrifically perfect endings I've ever read.

I really saw a lot of myself in Jane, and like to think she's autistic. To see a protagonist so complex and full as her who thinks and sees the world as I do is so precious to me since it's rarely represented in a positive light (or at all). Every time she stood up for herself I was so happy. I also saw parts of myself in Augustine, and have since started a paradigm shift after reading how him blaming himself for everything was arrongance. Time to re-evaluate some things boys😅. And the way the time loop was closed??? My friend and I discussed it for hours. I'm so in love with the tragedy of the ending even though I cried and had nightmares afterwards, because I understood all the themes and elements had come together so perfectly. I now also understand body horror is the type of horror that will actually freak me out, so that's knowledge!🙃

There's more I could say but this is long enough. Suffice it to say, overall this book devestated me, and I will be recommending it to anyone who will listen to me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Miscarriage, Gaslighting, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Blood, Body horror, Medical trauma, and Vomit

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Death of parent

seasidefaye13's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Blood, and Medical trauma

rjohnston's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

I listened to this on audio book which may have factored into my rating as I felt like this book dragged on and on. There was so much detail added to some parts of the book and it seemed unnecessary. It was convoluted and the ending was abrupt. However, the plot was interesting and I would try and read a physical copy to see how I like that too.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Gore

siriface's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Medical trauma, Death, and Medical content

ermw0's review against another edition

fast-paced

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

2.5

I was so exhausted by this book. It seems like Jane goes through a personality change every other page. The magical world was muddled and uninteresting, it felt like nonsense at some points. I was heavily skimming the end because of this. I was on board for the first half, but this quickly became an obligatory finish. I enjoyed “the Luminous Dead” so I thought I enjoy this. So much is crammed into this story and so much of it feels half baked, so I didn’t end up enjoying any of it. I was frustrated by this because if certain elements were the focus (the surgical scenes and more real dynamic between Jane and Augustine were good)  it could’ve been great. But the magic world  felt confusing and honestly like nonsense and ruined the book for me. I’ve read better gothic horror /magic inspired so I wouldn’t recommend this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: War and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

elanuruysal's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Medical content, Drug use, and Medical trauma

Moderate: War and Injury/Injury detail

animafeline's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Body horror, and Gore

Minor: Addiction, War, Fire/Fire injury, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Child death, and Drug use

roniboi's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This book was odder, bloodier, and more disorienting than I thought it would be picking it up. I don't know exactly how to feel after finishing it. I just know it was well written. It was clearly thought out well. Yet I hesitate to say that I entirely enjoyed it. I suppose the events that unfolded in the latter half of the book were not my cup of tea, not meaning the gore or anything. I suppose I am less of a speculative fiction girlie than I originally thought. For someone who enjoys fantasy, I suppose I enjoy it a certain way if that makes any sense. I really can appreciate the grip the story had on me which is why it still gets such a high rating. I don't think it deserves any less.
The best part of the book for me was Jane which was shocking to me because I almost NEVER like the main character. I just felt I could relate to her on certain things and she was honestly just more compelling than most main characters with all her flaws, insecurities, and strengths.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Blood, Gore, Child death, and Death

Minor: War

smylieman's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• 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

Graphic: Death, Gore, Medical trauma, Blood, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, and Medical content

Moderate: Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy