Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

25 reviews

dpou001's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexism, Rape, Murder, and Medical trauma

mysterymom40's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Blood, Pregnancy, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Colonisation, Sexism, Alcohol, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Gore, Medical trauma, and Murder

Minor: Classism and Sexual content

nimeneth's review

adventurous emotional slow-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

4.0

I very much appreciated this tale of Martha Ballard and what was likely the way of things in late 18th century Maine. Interesting look at how the legal system looked, and also the beginning of the transition from trusting the midwives to trusting doctors to deliver babies even if it's only touched upon briefly in the book. As it's fiction, I appreciate the fact that most of the women presented are strong and independent in their own way, but I do have to take that with a grain of salt because it was probably very unusual during that time-frame for a woman to be the one to piece together a murder mystery...

Still, really enjoyed the plot overall and I was a little surprised by the culprit of the murder, Lawhon crafted that part of the tale very well and it's not outlandish within the scope of the story. Glad my book club picked this one and I was able to get my hands on a copy to read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual harassment

knapier5's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, and Medical trauma

celery's review

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Murder, Religious bigotry, Body shaming, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Ableism, Classism, Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual harassment, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, Medical content, Animal death, Fatphobia, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Grief, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Blood, Body horror, Colonisation, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Vomit, Cursing, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Rape, War, Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Sexual content

okapi_lover's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.75

I really, really wanted to love this one. It was fine. I enjoyed it overall, but it was slowww. I had a hard time getting into it, and there were so many characters to keep track of! I do appreciate the historical accuracy of the novel, and the ending--even though not historically accurate or very plausible, it was satisfying to see some justice.

Overall, I liked the book, but I found it forgettable. It isn't one that will stay with me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Medical content, Sexual violence, Murder, Sexual assault, and Rape

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Medical trauma, Misogyny, and Infertility

katymat18's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Rape, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Death and Child death

novellearts's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Medical trauma, Blood, Sexual assault, Violence, Murder, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Rape, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Medical content, and Sexism

kateclancy's review

challenging inspiring medium-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? No

4.5

I put it down a few times to finish other books because the early pacing was slow - I think the fact that I read it on audio helped propel me forward. Once I was in though I was IN. I found the author's note really helpful to contextualize her decisions around how she engaged with issues of race, colonialism, and the medical turn of birth.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Child death, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Murder, Animal cruelty, Rape, Vomit, Violence, Stalking, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Racism, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Medical trauma, and Grief

mlsmiley13's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

A great historical fiction loosely based on a midwife from the late 1700s, Martha Ballard. I really enjoyed the characters in this book, especially Martha. She doesn't take crap from anyone and does all she can to ensure that justice is served. There is a mystery element throughout the story which was engaging as well.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Violence, Miscarriage, Child death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Death, and Rape