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cj13's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Medical content, Grief, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Child death, Cancer, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Alcohol and Alcoholism
Minor: Suicide
summeryoder's review against another edition
5.0
"But before she died, a surgeon took samples of her tumor and put them in a petri dish. Scientists had been trying to keep human cells alive in culture for decades, but they all eventually died. Henrietta's were different: they reproduced an entire generation every twenty-four hours, and they never stopped. They became the first immortal
human cells ever grown in a laboratory."
Henrietta Lacks never knew that her tissues had been taken for research. She never found out that her cells were used to study cancer, to formulate the polio vaccine, or that they were sent into outer space.
Her family didn't find out for over 20 years and the discovery put them on a journey of confusion and pain.
"When I go to the doctor for my checkups I always say my mother was HeLa. They get all excited, tell me stuff like how her cells helped make my blood pressure medicines and antidepression pills and how all this important stuff in science happen cause of her. But they don't never explain more than just sayin, Yeah, your mother was on the moon, she been in nuclear bombs and made that polio vaccine. I really don't know how she did all that, but I guess I'm glad she did, cause that mean she helpin lots of people. I think she would like that." -Deborah Lacks as told to Rebecca Skloot
Meticulously researched, this book gives much food for thought on the topics of racism, medical ethics, grief, trauma, and more. It's not a feel-good read, but it's an important one.
Graphic: Medical trauma and Medical content
Moderate: Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Incest, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Alcoholism
marioncromb's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Cancer, Medical content, and Death of parent
Moderate: Classism, Racism, Grief, Medical trauma, and Death
Minor: Child death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Violence, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Slavery, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Addiction, Terminal illness, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Mental illness, Incest, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, and Murder
arttichokedipp's review against another edition
2.25
Graphic: Sexual violence, Medical content, Grief, Classism, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Violence, Pregnancy, and Mental illness
aubreystrawberry's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Cancer, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Incest, Sexual violence, Slavery, Terminal illness, Racism, Sexual harassment, Chronic illness, Sexual assault, Child death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Rape
Moderate: Suicide, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Racial slurs, and Addiction
jodean's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Ableism, Racism, Terminal illness, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Gore, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Blood
Moderate: Physical abuse, Infertility, Cursing, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Infidelity
Minor: Kidnapping, Gun violence, and Suicide
myworldtoread's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cancer, and Grief
emilymhb's review against another edition
4.25
Graphic: Pedophilia, Child abuse, Child death, Medical content, Physical abuse, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, and Murder
memento_vivere's review against another edition
4.75
Graphic: Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Medical content, Racism, Chronic illness, and Rape
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Incest, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Blood, Slavery, Ableism, and Alcohol
moniipeters's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Death of parent, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Domestic abuse, Incest, Racism, Violence, Abandonment, Ableism, Alcoholism, Blood, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Infidelity, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Cursing, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Child abuse, and Child death