Reviews tagging 'Miscarriage'

The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff

7 reviews

katerina_12_k's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Alcoholism

burnourhistory's review against another edition

emotional medium-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, War, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Pregnancy, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Deportation, Alcohol, Death of parent, Miscarriage, and Blood

Minor: Infertility

mdavis26's review

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Antisemitism, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Deportation, Grief, Miscarriage, Murder, Suicide, Genocide, Alcoholism, War, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Vomit

oceanwriter's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

This book started out really strong for me. It begins with action and intrigue, but I found that it fizzled out until later in the book. 

 

After saving a baby boy from a Nazi boxcar, Noa finds herself seeking refuge in a circus. She trains to be an acrobat under Astrid’s instruction. Eventually, Not discovers that Astrid is a German Jew in hiding. Knowing this, she feels she has an ally in protecting the baby with the ultimate goal of getting them all out of occupied territory. 

 

The first couple of chapters in Noa’s POV had me completely enthralled. It took me a long time to get into Astrid’s part of the story. She eventually grew on me though it wasn’t until near the end that I felt the same interest I had in Noa at the start. As for Noa, I lost interest as soon as a love interest came into play. 

 

There is a lot going on in this book. Noa’s personal story and how she came to save a Jewish child could be a standalone story as could Astrid’s life in the virus and her need to escape. The two stories complimented each other only because of the baby. Being so young, he was a presence more than anything else. Despite the busyness, I did enjoy the friendship between the two women. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Death, and Suicide

Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, and Sexual content

Minor: Alcoholism, Blood, and Miscarriage

ledegennaro's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

2.0

I picked up this book as part of my mission to clear my shelves of old advanced readers I’ve had sitting around for awhile. Clearly when I originally grabbed it I thought the plot looked interesting, but I don’t think I did a lot of research into the author’s other books.

The writing felt a little too sympathetic to Nazi’s and Nazi sympathizers. I understand that people are nuanced and I believe the author was trying to portray that. However, the trope of the kind Nazi is not one I can ever get on board with.

I didn’t find the characters compelling and this felt a little more like a melodramatic romance than historical fiction. The idea had potential but I was not happy with the execution.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Violence, and Death

Moderate: War

Minor: Suicide and Miscarriage

kshertz's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

WW2 historical fiction about a Dutch teenager. She gets pregnant and is kicked out. She becomes a cleaner on the train tracks and sees what’s happening to the Jewish people. She takes a Jewish baby to spare them from where the trains are going and they find shelter in the Circus. Another performer finds shelter in the circus as well. This story brings together their two stories in a heartbreaking and realistic way. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Body horror, Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Violence, War, Antisemitism, Blood, Death of parent, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Suicide, and Alcoholism

klaralara's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-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

Graphic: Suicide, War, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Death and Police brutality

Minor: Miscarriage