Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu

46 reviews

victoriafrombookclub's review against another edition

hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

5.0

I immediately want to reread this book. Namagatsu skillfully creates a deep and complex near-world future with a virus leaking from an ancient burial beneath the melting Siberian ice. Each chapter brings you close to the grief and hope of characters dealing with the pandemic in the immediate aftermath and decades and generations after. A truly epic spec fic novel that points to the cosmos just as much to the human heart.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Terminal illness, Grief, Death, Chronic illness, Child death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Medical content, Body horror, Medical trauma, Suicide, and Cancer

Minor: Pregnancy, Violence, Torture, Sexual content, and Murder

lpdx's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Classism, Confinement, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Suicide, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Abandonment, Colonisation, Excrement, Pregnancy, and Vomit

eemadeeberry's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Child death, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Suicide

jhbandcats's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Beautiful book about humanity and its possibilities. Each chapter is a separate short story and all the stories are subtly interwoven. It’s fun figuring out how each new chapter’s characters relate to those from earlier chapters. 

The book explores people’s response to the disaster of a world-wide ancient plague that kills millions; it’s more about how the people face the challenges and grow rather than an exploration of the plague itself. So well-written that the words just flow smoothly. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, and Pandemic/Epidemic

errie's review against another edition

dark reflective

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic, Child death, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, and Medical trauma

singrequiem's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

If you want to be  emotionally devastated in just the most beautiful way over and over again - then this is the book for you. Gorgeous.  I may come back and finish this when I am emotionally stable enough to really give it the proper review it deserves.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Pandemic/Epidemic, Child death, Medical trauma, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Chronic illness, Grief, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Suicide, Violence, Addiction, Animal death, Suicide attempt, Blood, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder

Minor: Classism and Colonisation

There are graphic descriptions of decomposition and bodily changes in a detached, clinical way. (Alongside less detached scenes)

hendrixpants's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Death, and Medical content

puckeverlasting's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

An excellent read, this thought provoking book will remind you to hold your loved ones just a little bit closer tonight. While the vignettes themselves are incredibly dark in premise, the underlying themes regarding hope and the inherent beauty in humanity serve as a powerful juxtaposition. The tie-ins between stories were satisfying, and

the hints to the end twist were easy to follow while still allowing for an interesting conclusion

.  

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Chronic illness, Death, Body horror, Suicide, Child death, Medical trauma, and Terminal illness

Graphic illness-related death, including frequent child death. The "dystopian" aspects of the boon hit a little close to home after COVID, so if any of this is a potential trigger, I would pass on this one. This is a gorgeous book and worth the read for many, but doesn't shy away from it's dark themes

baileybooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Grief, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Drug use, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Suicide, Medical content, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Child death, Xenophobia, Infidelity, and Death

saric7's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Child death, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Suicide, Medical trauma, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Death