Reviews tagging 'Suicide'

Spare by Prince Harry

54 reviews

turtlekat23's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

2.0

My thoughts and feelings on this book are, like the book itself, rather disjointed and, at times, a jumble. The style of many, very short stories, usually in order but sometimes not, felt a little disorganized. I have much more sympathy for Prince Harry and a clearer representation of how awful the British press really are to them. This makes sense also in light of recent news regarding Kate’s health, King Charles’ health, etc. However, there are times, especially toward the end where the book seems very one-sided almost to the point of being defensive or self-centered. I do think perhaps, with the modern times and social media maybe we’ll see a little more transparency in the future? Either way, at times when discussing William, in particular, it was like shots fired at someone you know can’t fire back. My heart breaks for Harry and his hang up on the word Spare. Of that and others’ attitude regarding it, I have no doubt. I pray that regardless of everything else, he no longer accepts that identity and sees that he is a person of immense value, not because of his family, status, or anything else but just for him. Going back to the book, it is very cringy at times—I never wanted to know his circumcision status or about frostbite on his penis, or really anything about his genitalia at all. Why would an editor let that in? My family, who isn’t British, let alone Royal, would be mortified at that. Why would he want that in there? I get the drug use as a means of coping or self medicating. While also maybe something I would have downplayed, it does bolster the emphasis on mental health. I hope someday, especially as the father of littles, he sees how beautiful and amazing life is without such things. While this book is clearly one side of at least 3 sides to the truth, I do wish Harry, Megan, and their beautiful children the best of luck and pray, if only for their mother’s memory that he and William can be reconciled one day.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Racism, Mental illness, Alcohol, Death, Drug abuse, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Pregnancy, War, Suicide, and Miscarriage

jeanettesreadingcorner's review

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Death of parent, Bullying, Car accident, Drug abuse, Drug use, Torture, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Self harm, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, War, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Pregnancy

abbyscarde's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, War, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Miscarriage, Alcoholism, Drug use, Death of parent, Stalking, Violence, and Addiction

ginger_rampage's review

challenging emotional inspiring medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Death of parent

Moderate: War

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Miscarriage, and Suicide

danimcthomas's review against another edition

reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

Beautifully told and enlightening. I knew nothing about the royal family going in. I found the book very sad overall, but it feels hopeful, too. I’m sure it’s biased in some ways, but Harry seems to be very Frank and honest about his own failings as well as his family’s.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Suicide, Suicide attempt, War, Drug use, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Racism, Alcohol, Bullying, Car accident, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse

siankrb's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.5

An honest, funny and moving account of Prince Harry’s life and the challenges that come with being the spare. I thought the book particularly picked up in the third section, talking about Meghan and recent events. Took me a while to get through but I ended up being very moved. Appreciated having an insight into a life completely different from my own. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Blood, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Violence, and War

Moderate: Antisemitism, Gore, Abortion, Animal death, Cultural appropriation, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Medical content

Minor: Racism, Addiction, Confinement, Alcohol, Classism, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Infidelity, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, and Racial slurs

mcarabooboo's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Violence, Alcohol, Sexism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Gun violence, Grief, Death of parent, Cursing, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Vomit, Suicide, Racism, Animal cruelty, Slavery, Death, Car accident, Animal death, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, and Miscarriage

dmswack3's review

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

I usually avoid memoirs and biographies due to their voyeuristic feel, but something about 2023 has made me want to listen to a few, and Spare was undoubtedly one of them. 

I highly enjoyed the narration Prince Harry gave, and the story itself was fun to listen to. His ghost writers was phenomenal in my opinion. I'm very glad I listened to it instead of reading it, however, because I think I would have found myself bored by some of the longer chapters had it not been read to me. 

Something else for readers to be weary of besides long chapters and perhaps boring text, should you choose to read this rather than listen- this story bares all... Like ALL. You will hear a LOT about the Prince's... Todger, as he calls it. Like a LOT. Where it's been, who's seen it, how it's been injured so uh. Fair warning there. 

Beyond the todger, this book really doesn't pull punches. I saw shocked at points, angered at others, cried at some. But I also felt myself thinking: is it all true? God I hope not. It's that bad. 

Give it a listen. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Suicide, Car accident, Infertility, Child death, Islamophobia, Toxic friendship, Violence, War, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Death, Miscarriage, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Alcohol, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Hate crime, Addiction, Racial slurs, and Sexual harassment

bessadams's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racism, Death of parent, War, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Grief

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Car accident, Drug use, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, and Alcohol

emilylovesgoodbooks's review against another edition

emotional funny informative reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs

Minor: Death, Suicide, Miscarriage, Animal death, and Suicidal thoughts