Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Six Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe

24 reviews

refrejarator's review

challenging emotional hopeful 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

5.0

This brings together so many of my favourite tropes (fanfic or otherwise). I was crying and laughing throughout the whole thing, and my heart was jumping each time they almost kissed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Blood, Medical content, and Mental illness

Minor: Alcohol, Chronic illness, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Rape

princessrory's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness

Moderate: Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Alcohol, and Infidelity

Minor: Ableism, Cancer, Toxic relationship, and Sexual harassment

abi2xoxo's review

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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? No

5.0

WOW. WOW. WOW. This book has only been released very recently and it doesn't have as many reviews! 
I honestly never audibly laugh at a book or actually cry but my god. 

pros- 
Well-written. I don't know how to elaborate on this but it just is. It is a beautiful book. 
All characters have backstories. Sometimes books get lost in their main characters. Every character had a reason for behaving that way that went beyond just being an ex-girlfriend or just being a mum or grandma. It even made me smile when a teacher was introduced for one paragraph and then never appeared again but what they said made me well up and they felt so human. 
The fact this book is in little sections and each near-kiss has its own section that goes beyond chapters. I am glad the author knew what to do with this sort of layout because it was so much easier to read and made me feel like if I put the book down and started again at the next section I was almost starting a new 'movie'. 
The flashbacks weren't confusing at all to me. They integrated it well into each section and they all became a story within themselves. Each Penny and Tate got an opinion in the flashbacks as well which was nice to see. 
Six Times We Almost Kissed (and the one time we did), is from two views!!!!! I enjoy a book so much more when it isn't just one person's view but multiple people speaking. 
Death was handled with care. I didn't feel that the grief was unrealistic but I loved that everyone had grief no matter their relationship with George. 
When George died I was in a coffee shop and believe me, I had to put my book down otherwise I would have burst into tears. 

cons-
One thing missing from this book in relation to the two-view style was that the mums weren't reintroduced. I was a little confused when names suddenly switched and I kept having to remind myself which mum was whose. 

Usually, I can find something to nitpick in a book but this book was just awesome. 

I recommend and will definitely be reading Tess Sharpe again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Medical content, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Cancer, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Blood

humblebookdragon's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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

5.0

It seems every year there's a book that reminds me how fun it is to read. Of course, a book that doesn't spark with you can make it hard to remember how fun reading can be, but when you finally find The One, you remember, and you have the best time. 

This book is going to go on my list of Books The Reminded Me How Fun Reading Can Be (or whatever I end up naming it) 

This is a sapphic YA slow-burn, and I mean slow burn. But it gives the right kind of crumbs along the way that makes this love story not a painful waiting game, but a heartfelt "chase". 

Romance aside, its a VERY emotional book. It includes topics such as tragic death, trauma, near death experiences, characters with anti-mental health perspectives, chronic illness, and emotionally toxic family relationships. 

However, with all that heaviness, this book wasn't an emotional or mental drag. It handled all its topics with insight and maturity. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

cosyqueer's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Death of parent

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Cursing, Cancer, Ableism, and Chronic illness

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Medical content, and Emotional abuse

rockcommander's review

emotional sad

• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

don’t be fooled by the cover - this is not a fluffy book !!! graphic descriptions of parental death and illness. it’s one of the most effective slow burn boooks i’ve ever read - i didn’t even mind that they didn’t kiss until the end! also lovely to read about rural california (i don’t know much about it) and rural medicine access so important 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Chronic illness

lubilu42's review against another edition

emotional funny sad fast-paced

5.0

Ugh I’m so gay. And this book is so gay. And I’m learning about how to deal with everyday loss and grief and this book is about learning to deal with major loss and grief. And it talks about difficult relationships with moms which I’m still working on and I love it and I read it in one sitting and I cried. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, and Grief

bookishsapphicshay's review

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Grief, Medical trauma, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, and Medical content

imstephtacular's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Grief, Medical content, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Cancer, Death, Cursing, Ableism, Chronic illness, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Sexual content, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Infidelity

jazzyjbox's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

It has been a while since a book consumed me so much that I basically spent an entire evening hyperfocused on it. I smiled, I teared up. It was so painfully beautiful! 

Penny's and Tate's moms are best friends. Penny and Tate are not. So when their moms decide to combine households due to a medical procedure - Penny's mom giving Tate's part of her liver - the girls are not thrilled. Particularly because of a certain "energy" between them. 

Told in mixed timeline, this book covers grief, mental health, and the complexity of love. 
5 ⭐️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Death of parent

Moderate: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Abandonment, and Chronic illness

Minor: Ableism and Suicidal thoughts