Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

7 reviews

flower_lover's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Death of parent

Moderate: Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Animal death, and Grief

Minor: Vomit

alyssapusateri's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring reflective fast-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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Child abuse, Confinement, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Pregnancy, Terminal illness, and Vomit

vixenreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

While “Foster” made me cry, this one made me seethe with rage, and it is an empathetic novella about mustering the courage to fight against injustices that are buried under the surface, even when you only have your bare hands to dig them up. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Classism, and Confinement

Moderate: Cursing, Death of parent, Death, Torture, Bullying, and Abandonment

Minor: Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Xenophobia, Excrement, and Terminal illness

Be aware that this novel addresses the Magdalen laundry, where religious institutions would abuse and isolate young “troubled” women. It is rough to read, and there is more details between the lines. Poverty and abuse of power had a huge hand in this discussion.

gracescanlon's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

I loved this, so much. Keegan writes in a similar fashion to other modern Irish writers I’ve read, especially Niall Williams.

I only wish the book was longer! Its ending wasn’t disappointing, per se, but I would’ve been happy to read another 200 pages about Bill and the girls. That said, I also see the merit of the chosen ending, and did enjoy it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Classism, Abandonment, Terminal illness, and Vomit

jackbifrost's review

reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Pregnancy, Trafficking, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Terminal illness and Suicidal thoughts

alisonannk's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Slavery, Sexism, Kidnapping, Vomit, Torture, Excrement, Cancer, Physical abuse, Classism, Terminal illness, and Pregnancy

shelfofunread's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Forced institutionalization, and Confinement

Minor: Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, and Physical abuse