Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

Les Bien-aimés by Ann Napolitano

191 reviews

marmelane's review against another edition

4.75

emotional inspiring lighthearted relaxing sad 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: Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness

Minor: Cancer, Death

sammyemma's review against another edition

4.0

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

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A beautiful exploration of love, grief and forgiveness. This book was perfectly inspired by Little Women without being a modern-day rip off. My only critique was that I wanted more. I would have loved to hear from Cecelia and Emeline’s perspectives to truly round out the novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt

Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Death of parent

abernathy_33's review against another edition

5.0

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Death of parent

Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, Abandonment

Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Homophobia

racnew88's review against another edition

3.5

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Mental illness, Suicide attempt

Moderate: Cancer

mele92's review against another edition

5.0

emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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The most beautifully written book I have read all year

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Suicide

korikam's review against another edition

5.0

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent

Minor: Pregnancy

ly555's review against another edition

3.75

emotional reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy

Moderate: Child death, Abandonment

Minor: Lesbophobia

natashaball's review against another edition

4.5

emotional reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Terminal illness, Pregnancy

emminkirjakasa's review against another edition

3.0

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Odotukset oli korkealla, mutta tämä ei loppujen lopuksi ollut ihan minun kirjani. Olisin kovasti halunnut rakastaa tätä kirjaa!

Henkilöhahmot tuntui kuitenkin jäävän liian kaukaisiksi, vaikka monen elämää seurataan aivan alkutaipaileesta asti. Silti jokainen tapahtuma tuntui liian yhdentekevältä, eikä oikeen mistään saanut kiinni. 

Jos kerrontatyyli olisi ollut hiukan erilainen, olisin voinut rakastua kirjaan. Ymmärrän ehdottomasti miksi tämä on osalle parempi lukukokemus kuin itselle.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Death of parent

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Abandonment

Minor: Child death

applesaucecreachur's review against another edition

4.25

emotional hopeful reflective 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

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Over the last few days, while reading this book, I found myself in a daze any time I was alone. (The fact that I listened to the entire story over a few hours-long sittings likely has no bearing on this.) Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano had a striking way of showing me myself and my beloveds within its pages. In this way, the story fit like a lens over my frontal lobe: I saw its words walking down the street and trailing through my journal. The range of years and human emotions was exhausting in its beauty. The span of decades and personalities felt both breakneck in its pace and loving in its attention to detail. Hearing the story from multiple distinct POVs was not only enjoyable but also immensely clever. While the timeline remained more or less linear, Napolitano bends the arrow to allow for multiple perspectives on the same events, and to station the reader in different minds in the same instant.

The most breathtaking example of this was the day of Sylvie's death, where we first watch Alice waiting uncomfortably at her father's work before learning in the next chapter that he has just fallen headlong into grief.

With emotions swirling inside of me, I have only so many intelligible thoughts on this book.  I will end this review off with a lasting lesson: Love, like the people with whom we share it, is imperfect and essential.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Homophobia, Medical content, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Alcohol

Minor: Child death