Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

The Women by Kristin Hannah

297 reviews

leslie_overbookedsocialworker's review

emotional informative 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Addiction, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Grief, Medical content, Miscarriage, Drug abuse, Death, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Medical trauma

mountainstobeach's review

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

This is my favorite of the Kristin Hannah books that I have read. The topic is very relevant and important  and she does a good job bringing serious issues to light in a serious way. There are moments of levity and hope in the book but overall, it feels very real and poignant.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Medical content, Drug use, Hate crime, Gore, Blood, War, Miscarriage, Car accident, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, and Grief

oproy's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective 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

3.75

I will say, the last 10% of the book had me crying and questioning life. But the first 50-90% was hard to get through. It was a lot of muck, and I felt that Frances had to go through almost too much hurt. It felt unnecessary.

Like I would have believed her trauma after the first death.  I also did not like how quickly the author tried to characterize her at the end as an old spinster.  It was just such a quick turnaround after 200 pages of war, and 200 pages of Frankie spiraling.

 
Overall, I honestly probably would not recommend this book because it is so heavy and at points a little too preachy for my taste. However, the setting and idea behind it is very interesting and definitely something I want to look into further after reading. Even in school, I don’t feel that I learned much about the Vietnam War let alone the women in the war, so this feels like a jumping board. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, War, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Death, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Alcohol, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Gore, Body horror, Car accident, Medical content, Suicide, Blood, and Child death

shaney_swift's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexism, Blood, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Drug abuse, Car accident, War, and Death

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Addiction, and Alcoholism

abbyrose333's review

adventurous challenging 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

This was beautifully written and I felt like I was with the characters living all of these events with them. I found myself thinking about this book constantly. I almost rage quit a couple times but it was worth every moment. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Addiction

Moderate: Suicide and Miscarriage

chelse34's review

3.0

Man the Vietnam war was complicated. Lots of opinions about it and the people who fought in it. Learned a lot about that aspect. 

I had flashes throughout the book that reminded me of the movie "Pearl Harbor" but in Vietnam and in a book. Little plot similarities. 

I felt that one of the characters made the same mistake multiple times because the person didn't learn the first time. And it kept happening with different dumb mistakes! Learn your lesson girl! So deja vu a bit there. 

There's lots of content in this book that was difficult, but didn't bother me while reading it, namely: PTSD after the war, substance abuse, mass casualties and war injuries. 

There was some content that did bother me while reading, namely: lots of swearing (guess that's war for you), adultery, and fornication. Nothing was too graphic in the book, but there were some sex scene details I could have lived without. Wished she would have cut the scene sooner. 

Hannah is an amazing story teller. I give her that. There were parts I enjoyed in the book and things I didn't. So 3 star average rating I'd say. Not my favorite book of hers, but not my least favorite. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical trauma, Drug use, Addiction, Sexual content, Mental illness, War, Pregnancy, Child death, Car accident, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, Alcoholism, Death, Cursing, and Medical content

ckozik1017's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Medical content, Gun violence, War, Suicide attempt, Violence, Addiction, Grief, Drug use, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Racism, Police brutality, and Infertility

lost_and_found_in_words's review

emotional informative sad 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

4.5

As a historical fiction girlie, I have read many books based in the World War 1 and 2 era but this was my first 
Vietnam War read…and boy I was not prepared for the emotional rollercoaster it was…!

Kristin Hannah has a way with words unlike any other historical fiction writer of this generation and this book is no different, a well-researched masterpiece that beautifully crafts the story of “the women” who server in the Vietnam War through the eyes of nurses Frankie, Ethel, and Barb.

The first half of the book beautifully captures the contributions of the medical personnel during the war and sheds light on the horrors they witnessed (and dealt with) on ground…it’s just…heartbreaking but it’s not even the saddest part of the book. If you thought the second part was going to lead to a quintessential “happy ending” you are sadly mistaken! 

Nothing prepares you for how helpless and devastated you feel when reading about the lack of respect, support, and in many cases the basic acknowledgement of their service lies in wait for all these veterans. The sheer mistreatment from government and civilians alike as the vets are trying to recover from the physical and mental traumas of the war will leave you angered and disgusted. 

There’s so much I loved about this book, but the interweaving of relationships and friendships forged by the unlikely circumstances of the war was my favorite part of the story. Must-read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, War, Mental illness, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Blood, and Death

Minor: Addiction, Suicide attempt, Car accident, and Alcoholism

haleybrieanna's review

challenging dark emotional funny informative sad tense fast-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

4.75

I read this book so quickly, it was very hard to put down, very emotional, very informative, and very worth a read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Gore, Addiction, Body horror, Classism, War, Blood, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Grief, Sexism, and Injury/Injury detail

kharcourt's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexism, Addiction, and Racism