Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Pet Sematary by Stephen King

78 reviews

saskia6's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

i have no words honestly

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Medical content, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Violence, Cannibalism, Cursing, and Suicidal thoughts

kawooreads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I listened to the 2018 audiobook narrated by Michael C. Hall, and it was outstanding. The 1989 original movie is one of the most iconic horror movies of my generation. Although I haven't watched the movie in a long time, I can remember in detail  the story frame by frame because it scared me immensely as a kid. The book is perhaps my favorite King I have read thus far (the list I've read is short). Just a masterpiece although it doesn't pass my test which is challenging King to write a story that doesn't mention a woman's breasts/nipples in a creeper sort of way at least once. I had no idea King wrote this based on an experience he had where his young son waa almost hit by a large truck in the road by their home. In his author's note, King remarks that this story of "what if?" is the scariest story he has ever written.  Michael C. Hall does an incredible job narrating and his Jud Crandall voice at times made me think Fred Gwynne was going to crawl out of my headphones. Now I can't wait to re-watch the movies. Perfect book for October! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Death, Cursing, Gore, Medical content, Murder, and Violence

megselyane's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Violence, Mental illness, Animal death, Car accident, Child death, Gore, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Alcohol, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal cruelty, Infidelity, Sexism, Misogyny, Vomit, and Sexual content

ripxw's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Animal death, and Grief

Moderate: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Terminal illness

Minor: Sexual content and Medical content

aaren's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Grief, Death, Animal death, Child death, and Medical content

ladybocknite's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

I found this book to be really slow until 70 or 80% of the way into it. The narrator was really good though. I find the conversation topic of the book(death) to be really interesting and how it’s discussed. We see someone spiral because of grief and make choices that they think are good,but in the end aren’t. King’s characters don’t asked to be redeemed unlike most modern stories. They are just who they are and that’s it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Gore, Grief, Child death, Body horror, Medical trauma, Blood, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Animal death

Moderate: Violence, Sexual content, and Murder

Minor: Cannibalism

our_bookish_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

It has been well over 15 years since I last read Pet Sematary and I am so happy I got to read it again. I had forgotten so much about this book and how much I actually love it. This has to be one of the few books that SK wrote that isn't long-winded and drones on the whole time. Don't get me wrong, there were some parts where this fid happen, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. There's such a creepy and great atmosphere, and the pacing is just perfect. I must admit, I think some parts went by too fast while other parts (that I personally didn't think mattered much) were lingered on. You can bet that I will read this again. Oh yes, I will read this again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Alcohol, Animal death, Medical trauma, Murder, Violence, Blood, and Cursing

Moderate: Sexual content and Suicidal thoughts

chloseencounter's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

3.0

Pet Semetery may be the scariest book by King I’ve read so far and it’s definitely the best one I’ve read since The Shining. I think often King’s novels are like the longest build up ever to the world’s saddest orgasm but I actually felt that the pay off was worth it in this novel. I’ll also say that this was some very strong character writing but despite that maybe only two characters were actually likable, though I do at least think the mental decline in Louis over time is articulated well. I was also slightly put off by the completely out of place sex scenes that added literally nothing to the story but King is nothing if not horny. Even though I love to complain about King’s books I really did enjoy this one and would actually recommend it to people especially if you’re new to King or horror in general. I still think it could’ve been edited so much shorter but for the most part it felt more evenly paced than other King novels and I wasn’t often bored. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Child death, Animal death, and Death

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, and Blood

Minor: Chronic illness, Racism, Terminal illness, Confinement, Medical content, Medical trauma, Violence, Grief, and Mental illness

shyleek's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad slow-paced

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

3.0

Interesting concept but I personally felt like there was A LOT of slow parts. Too much story building and not enough of the actual story. Really most of the action happens in the last 1/3 of the book. Maybe my expectations are too high from Stephen King being talked up as a master of horror writing but this just wasn't it for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Death, Medical content, Animal death, Gore, Child death, and Grief

Moderate: Murder and Suicide

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

chiara_dose's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Blood, Violence, Death, Medical content, and Murder