Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang

177 reviews

ceedy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Medical content

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Mental illness

angelfireeast24's review against another edition

I thought this was going to be a romance but it's more a heartbreaking story about Anna. There is romance but I can't deal with so much pain right now

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Classism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Sexual content, Ableism, Misogyny, and Sexism

teatunesandtales's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

Part fiction, part memoir. Thank you Helen Hoang for writing my story also.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, Classism, Toxic relationship, and Medical content

Trigger Warnings: Caretaker burnout, Autistic burnout.

ninebookishlives's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Medical content

Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Gaslighting

onlyonebookshelf's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-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? N/A

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Gaslighting, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Infertility, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

zids's review against another edition

sad 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

2.0

Never have I needed an author's note so much in my life. I was sitting reading this book thinking "Helen Hoang EXPLAIN YOURSELF!"
I was a big fan of the Bride Test, and I thought the Kiss Quotient was fine. But Jesus Christmas, this book.
I can't even say I didn't enjoy it. I was just kind of baffled by it. It was very different than the other books in this series. It was miserable. It seemed so focused on it's own misery that the relationship between Quan and Anna kind of took a back seat.
I knew at a certain point that something like this MUST'VE happened to the author, it was extremely personal, and I don't think I was prepared to read a book about carer burnout when I was expecting something very lighthearted. It certainly didn't mention any of this on the blurb.
The end of the book didn't particularly satisfy me, either. Anna starts to struggle with suicidal ideation like fifteen pages before the book ends. This part of her story seemed like a footnote when, TO ME, it maybe should've been focused on more? Or completely omitted, really. Not much would've changed without it. Quan stopped feeling real after a while, his problems certainly weren't as big as Anna's, so he naturally took a backseat. Reading about him floating around as she tries to exit a depression really didn't do anything for me.
Also, I don't hate this as a plot point, but the fact that his cancer left him infertile AND with a bad case of body dysmorphia. This book pulled no punches. Misery all the way down.
I almost feel like Hoang's pain was a little too big for this book. The type of book she was writing and the volume of her suffering don't... match. I don't think it can't be done, but I also don't think she did it. I truly hope writing this was cathartic for her.
Again, it wasn't so much that I hated the book, it was just baffling to me how much misery could be packed into such a small book with such a bright, flirty cover.
I guess I have to accept that Bride Test was a one off for me, which makes me sad, because it made me so excited about Hoang as an author. Woof.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Excrement, Grief, Cancer, Death of parent, Infertility, and Medical content

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

laheath's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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

4.25

This was definitely my favorite of The Kiss Quotient trilogy.  Both leads were likeable characters, and their relationship had potential, but they had their own obstacles to conquer before making a commitment.  As seen in the first book, Quan seems like such a sweet, patient guy.  He's out of the woods with one issue but still has to come to terms with what that means for his life.  There's also a challenge to the company that he and Michael started in the first book.  Anna is the passive, younger daughter in her family, who feels obligated to please everyone at the cost of her own happiness.  She finally learns to stand up for herself, after facing professional and personal issues.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Grief

Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Medical content

Minor: Infertility and Cancer

kenzithereader's review against another edition

emotional 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

3.0

The book wasn't bad, but it was my least favorite of the series. I loved the first two and their lighthearted good time romance with a sprinkle of issues. This third book felt more like it was about the characters struggle with family and autism and was really bleak for a lot of the book. The romance started to feel like the side plot and the story was much heavier than I'd anticipated. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Medical trauma, and Medical content

Moderate: Ableism and Infertility

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

catsandmetaphors's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Sexual content, and Medical content

jennp28's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful 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

4.0

This was much deeper, darker and more emotional than I expected from a “romance” novel. The narrator especially brought a lot of emotion and depth to the character of Anna that made it almost painful to listen to in a few parts. I certainly felt Anna’s pain in my gut and hated her family on her behalf! Her relationship with Quan was at times secondary to the plot but was a sweet and solid underpinning to the whole thing. I liked him a lot. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Death of parent, and Medical content

Minor: Suicidal thoughts