Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

54 reviews

mels_reading_log's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

5.0

This book tells the true story of Henrietta Lacks, a black woman who had her cells taken when she went into Johns Hopkins Hospital for cancer treatment. The cells which were taken without her consent were then sold and distributed around the world for medical research and are still used today. The fact that this story is real is so troubling. The way the medical community has taken advantage of poor, black and handicapped people in the name of medical advancement is atrocious and it makes perfect sense that many do not trust doctors because of this. 

I did like the way the book was written like a podcast, where we went along with the author to do research and meet with the family members. This keeps the information accessible and easier to understand than dense science talk. I believe this information should be required knowledge in this country, so people, especially the non black can know the depths of racism that exist and understand that this was less than 100 years ago.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Racism, Alcohol, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Incest, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Classism, Death, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Cancer, Chronic illness, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Racial slurs, and Terminal illness

Minor: Suicide

muppetymelody's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective sad

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma and Medical content

Moderate: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, Ableism, Addiction, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Cancer, Confinement, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Blood, Cultural appropriation, Pedophilia, and Racism

hayreading's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective slow-paced

4.75

A good and informative book. Not my usual read, but very well written. Points off for slow pacing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Child death, Cancer, Medical trauma, Slavery, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Addiction, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Infidelity, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Grief, Sexual harassment, Death, Murder, Mental illness, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Drug use, Drug abuse, Confinement, Chronic illness, and Adult/minor relationship

alliejuve's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Incest, Medical content, and Misogyny

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Death, and Sexual violence

Minor: Slavery

emblazedwords's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

This book was so emotional and so well done. It was more than just a book on these immortal cells and how they were wrongly taken: it was also a history of the Lacks family themselves. Skloot gave us an intimate history on Henrietta as well as family, how her children were impacted by her death, and how they came to understand her legacy. 

I didn't realize until reading this book how new the concept of medical consent is. I also got more background history on Black people and their relationship with medicine, how it's hurt them and made them distrustful.

Definitely worth the hype!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma and Medical content

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Forced institutionalization

cj13's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Medical content, Grief, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Child death, Cancer, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Alcohol and Alcoholism

Minor: Suicide

sztokfisz's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death of parent, Death, and Cancer

Moderate: Incest, Mental illness, Addiction, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical trauma, Slavery, Medical content, and Sexual violence

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

challenging informative reflective

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Child death, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Grief, Incest, Racism, Ableism, Sexual harassment, Cancer, Child abuse, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Slavery, Antisemitism, Confinement, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Suicide, Animal cruelty, and Genocide

Minor: Deadnaming and War

parasolcrafter's review against another edition

emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

5.0

this book....i really dont know what i can say about it. i learned SO MUCH about something i had never even head of before picking it up, and it was both fascinating and heartbreaking to read about all of it. i wish all the best for hentrietta lacks family and hope that her and those of her family who have passed are resting easily <3

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexism, Violence, Classism, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Incest, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Ableism, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Grief, Infertility, Miscarriage, Racism, Racial slurs, Abortion, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Rape, Slavery, and Terminal illness

doric's review against another edition

2.75

I think this book is really important in the story it tells, my issue is with the author and her exploitation of the family for her own personal gain

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Death, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Incest