Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

19 reviews

nialiversuch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad 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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Racial slurs, Genocide, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Racism, Toxic friendship, Death, Death of parent, Ableism, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Cursing, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Infidelity, Rape, Violence, War, Body horror, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Vomit

thevietvegan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

5.0

This is a very hard and emotional read, especially for Viet Kieu. It depicts all the horrible sides of war and the intersections between American and Vietnamese cultures. It’s really a sad book, but so beautiful and I think really captured the spirit of Vietnamese people so well.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Pregnancy, Death, Gun violence, Trafficking, Racism, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Infidelity, Abandonment, Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Racial slurs

rachel101's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

Incredibly moving story based on truth, this book will stay with you for a long time.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Body horror, Car accident, Adult/minor relationship, Sexism, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Colonisation, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Dementia, Drug abuse, Grief, Gore, Hate crime, Drug use, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Medical content, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Sexual content

amyeicher's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Abandonment, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Racism, Self harm, Alcoholism, Rape, Racial slurs, and Pregnancy

ajira's review against another edition

emotional informative 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Infidelity, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Death

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Grief

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Racism, and Misogyny

nadia's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-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? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Pregnancy, and War

Moderate: Death of parent, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

augie_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-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? It's complicated

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Xenophobia, Racism, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Grief, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Death, and Abortion

proudtobeabookaholic's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

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

4.0

1969 åker systrarna Trang och Qunh till Saigon för att arbeta och hjälpa sina föräldrar med skulderna. De får jobb på en bar där de ska flirta med amerikanska soldater och få dem att köpa drinkar. 

Dan, amerikansk helikopterpilot under Vietnam-kriget, bestämmer sig i nutid för att åka tillbaka till Vietnam och konfrontera sitt förflutna. Samtidigt söker Phong efter sina föräldrar efter att ha blivit lämnad på barnhem som baby. 

Askans barn kallas de barn som har en vietnamesisk mamma och en amerikansk pappa. De flesta växte upp under svåra förhållanden och bespottades av alla. Tyvärr en tragisk verklighet där man kan se att Vietnam-kriget (eller det amerikanska kriget, som vietnameserna kallar det) fortfarande har konsekvenser. Ännu en gång har jag fått lära mig mer om effekterna av detta krig och det skär i hjärtat att tänka på alla liv som förstörts. Tack och lov finns här även värme och hopp, så allt är inte tragiskt och nattsvart. 

Jag kan förstå att "Där askan blommar" är nominerad till Årets bok, men jag blir ändå inte lika överväldigad som jag blev av författarens förra bok, "När bergen sjunger". Kanske beror det bara på att jag inte hade några speciella förväntningar inför läsningen av den boken, medan jag nu visste vad jag kunde förvänta mig. Kanske beror det på att jag hade ovanligt svårt att hålla isär de vietnamesiska namnen och blandade ihop karaktärerna mer än en gång. Jag vet inte riktigt, men det här är ändå en väldigt bra bok och jag tycker att författarens båda böcker bör läsas av alla som tycker om att lära sig saker medan de läser, samtidigt som de uppskattar ett fint språk och en bra berättad historia.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Colonisation, Death, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Cultural appropriation, Grief, Pregnancy, Racism, and War

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug abuse, Infertility, Addiction, Suicide, and Infidelity

thesapphiccelticbookworm's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective slow-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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Infidelity, Pregnancy, War, Racism, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Rape and Self harm

maidinnah's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-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

4.75

A thoughtful, nuanced, and empathetic account of the Vietnam war through the intertwining storylines of a Vietnamese prostitute, an American veteran, and an Amerasian “dust child”. This stirring tale explores the fallout — the broken families, the mutual resentments, the haunting secrets — and calls forth tremendous amounts of forgiveness from every side. Quê Mai Nguyễn reminds us that we may not be able to heal every wound when the dust settles, but peace can still be found when we move forward. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Murder, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief

Minor: Self harm