Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

56 reviews

booknerd85's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Abortion, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Trafficking, and Violence

bonusturniptwaddler's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Abortion, Police brutality, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Suicide, Murder, Violence, Medical trauma, Medical content, and Gun violence

ehmannky's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

4.5

A fantastic read. It's not often that you find works of science fiction that truly feel like they get and come from the lineage of Octavia Butler, but that's the only author whose work I can think of that relates to this work. It deals with hierarchies in a similar way, but Solomon's writing shows that the recreation of hierarchies, especially within a society like America, is not going to be solved by simply getting off planet. 

Also this isn't, like, smart or insightful like so many of the other reviews here but

I am so glad Theo wasn't secretly evil. I am so glad I loved his character so much.

TW: A lot of talk of suicide, suicide ideation, suicidal tendencies, etc. I feel like most people who get into the book like me are aware that it's going to incorporate slavery and get into the graphic and horrific slavery based on the real life horrors of America, but I do not know if I was aware of just how much suicide was in this book. As someone with a personal experience with loss from suicide, it wasn't enough to put me off, but it could be for others. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Violence, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Racism, Slavery, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Rape, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Murder, Medical trauma, Medical content, Mental illness, Grief, Gore, Emotional abuse, Death, Death of parent, Child death, Child abuse, and Blood

Moderate: Homophobia and Drug use

Minor: Pregnancy

gdobson's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Abortion

blandblanket's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Confinement, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Abortion, and Death

Minor: Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Vomit

The book -- as marvelous a read as it is -- does handle a lot of heavy topics that could be too much for some readers. As it deals with topics of classism/racism/colorism/sexism, there are many instances in the book that talk about those topics and the struggles that come with them -- physical, social, and mental. The main character does talk quite a bit in medical terms and performs/assists in medical procedures. There is content re: physical/sexual assault and allusions to it. Though not explicit or detailed, it could be sensitive to some readers just to read/hear references to those sort of events.

deepfriedaries's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, and Violence

setgalvin22's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Racism, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Sexual assault, and Self harm

skudiklier's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book is incredibly engaging and unique. It would be easy to describe it as

slavery but in space

and nothing else but that, but there's so much more to it. Because there's a different hierarchical system in place, it shows new ways people maintain control over others. Additionally, the relationships between the various characters are so complex, and it doesn't take the easy way out of focusing on some sort of romance as a happy ending. Also, side note,

Aster is totally autistic and I really loved getting to see myself in her character in that way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Transphobia, and Violence

scribblesandsuch's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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? No

This book is incredible. It is so much and everything more. I feel lucky to have read it. It covers graphic and difficult topics, but the plot has so much momentum I was able to move with it. It felt inexplicably real but just enough fantasy for it to be bearable- I don't have the words for what this book means to me in this moment. I think it is a special read that will stay withmee

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Violence, Racism, Racial slurs, Medical trauma, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Suicide, Mental illness, Medical content, Hate crime, Domestic abuse, Slavery, Rape, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Death, Death of parent, Child death, Blood, and Abortion

This contains heavy topics, please take care of yourself as you read it, but if you can, I think it is worth it

caitlinjadams's review against another edition

dark emotional tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, Slavery, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Rape, Racism, Police brutality, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Homophobia, Gun violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Abortion, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infertility, and Suicide