Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

8 reviews

kaylaannsreads's review

challenging emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Violence, Hate crime, Confinement, Murder, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, War, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Suicide attempt and Terminal illness

khaben31's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Deportation, Medical content, Medical trauma, Antisemitism, Death, and Genocide

Minor: Murder, War, and Grief

nlyssy99's review

emotional informative sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Violence, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Rape, War, Medical trauma, Death, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Antisemitism, and Religious bigotry

meg_elyse's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Body horror, Death, Genocide, Suicide attempt, Antisemitism, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Deportation

Moderate: Sexism, Racial slurs, Child death, Hate crime, Racism, Self harm, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Cancer, and Colonisation

karingforbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Not the most memorable concentration camp book I’ve read. I haven’t read about Ravensbruck so that was interesting and horrifying. But I didn’t connect with the characters meaningfully or find the plot particularly compelling. I think the pacing was a bit off and it was a broad story arc. Without the narrowed in pieces that make it more compelling. But it was fine overall

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Cancer, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Death, Deportation, and Medical content

saliwali's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Deportation, Genocide, Police brutality, War, Animal cruelty, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Antisemitism, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Torture, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Murder, Slavery, Suicide attempt, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Animal death, Hate crime, and Self harm

Moderate: Alcohol, Pregnancy, Blood, Rape, Sexual assault, and Infidelity

katethealmostgreat's review

adventurous dark hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Infertility, Murder, Medical content, Sexism, Medical trauma, Confinement, and War

Takes place during and around the holocaust

claudiamacpherson's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad slow-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

3.5

Based on the true story of the “rabbits” of Ravensbruck, this book followed the alternately heartbreaking and inspiring story of three women during and after the Second World War. Caroline Farraday is a wealthy New York socialite working for the French embassy and dating a married French opera singer. Kasia Kuzmerick is a teenager in Poland who decides to join the Polish resistance movement. Herta Oberheuser is a rare female doctor, and when she struggles to find a practice willing to take on a woman, she decides to respond to a posting at a government facility—Ravensbruck. The lives of the three women weave together as the war puts them in situations they could never have imagined.

A few years ago, I visited Auschwitz, one of the largest concentration camps from WWII. It was not (and should not be) an enjoyable visit, but it feels important to go and witness the place where such atrocities were committed, to mourn those who suffered and were killed there. Similarly, this story felt important to read and understand. I have trouble reading stories with graphic violence and cruelty, but I am glad to know the story of the women upon whom the Nazis performed their experiments. It is not a story I have read about or seen in movies or TV shows before. One of the reasons I love historical fiction, particularly when it focuses on women’s lives, is because they are often overlooked or seen as less important in the face of other, “bigger” historical catastrophes. If you have any interest in this period of history, I think this book did a great job of telling the story, especially because it did not end with the end of the war but continued, following the journeys of the three women and how their lives were affected.

Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the vibe of the ending): I don’t know that a story like this could ever be said to have a happy ending, but this ending is probably about as close as it gets. It was inspiring and, for the most part, very cathartic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Antisemitism, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical content, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Violence, Vomit, and Xenophobia

Minor: Ableism, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Cancer, and Panic attacks/disorders