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hopeful
informative
fast-paced
A really interesting, although not too in depth, insight into the history and unfortunately the present of tuberculosis. Heartbreaking almost all the way through but at times intensely so. I am privileged enough to have not been aware of the realities of tuberculosis today until I read the book, and I’m glad (although also slightly depressed now) that I took the time to read it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
The drawing together of the personal and global was masterful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Medical content, Grief, Pandemic/Epidemic
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
John Green weaves a biography of a boy infected by tuberculosis with anecdotes throughout history and the very human reason this disease persists today. In this departure from YA fiction, we are challenged to address structures of inequality while still remaining hopeful for change.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Terminal illness
Moderate: Child death, Death
Minor: Mental illness
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
"TB doesn't just flow through the meandering river of injustice; TB broadens and deepens that river."
I have to give this five stars. We know John Green can write a compelling book - his previous books have made that clear. He is an incredible storyteller, and maybe even more so when that story is true and real. I found that reading about Henry's story and the injustices he faced throughout diagnosis, treatment, and care made a profound impact on the book. Pertinent to his core message, Green wrote about his personal connection to Henry as they got to know each other over a few years. We saw his immense care for this one specific person, and by writing about Henry, he extended that concern to us.
I also connected to the stories, poems, and quotes about and from other notable people involved in the history of TB. It was a well-crafted mix of those who suffered and died from TB, those who cared for TB patients, and those who tried to cure TB. You can tell Green cares so deeply about ending the suffering of those with TB and is desperately trying to evoke that in his reader. And he does that masterfully.
"It reminded me that when we know about suffering, when we are proximal to it, we are capable of extraordinary generosity. We can do and be so much for each other–but only when we see one another in our full humanity, not as statistics or problems, but as people who deserve to be alive in the world."
I wasn't very interested in TB before hearing about this book, but my grandfather had it and survived it as a child. As I've spent more time with him recently, we've been talking about his time in a sanatorium in the late 1930s. I've been a fan of Green and his books for a while, so this seemed like a great intersection between my interests and my grandfather's. I took him to Green's book tour, and it's been wonderful to connect with him over this book.
I have to give this five stars. We know John Green can write a compelling book - his previous books have made that clear. He is an incredible storyteller, and maybe even more so when that story is true and real. I found that reading about Henry's story and the injustices he faced throughout diagnosis, treatment, and care made a profound impact on the book. Pertinent to his core message, Green wrote about his personal connection to Henry as they got to know each other over a few years. We saw his immense care for this one specific person, and by writing about Henry, he extended that concern to us.
I also connected to the stories, poems, and quotes about and from other notable people involved in the history of TB. It was a well-crafted mix of those who suffered and died from TB, those who cared for TB patients, and those who tried to cure TB. You can tell Green cares so deeply about ending the suffering of those with TB and is desperately trying to evoke that in his reader. And he does that masterfully.
"It reminded me that when we know about suffering, when we are proximal to it, we are capable of extraordinary generosity. We can do and be so much for each other–but only when we see one another in our full humanity, not as statistics or problems, but as people who deserve to be alive in the world."
I wasn't very interested in TB before hearing about this book, but my grandfather had it and survived it as a child. As I've spent more time with him recently, we've been talking about his time in a sanatorium in the late 1930s. I've been a fan of Green and his books for a while, so this seemed like a great intersection between my interests and my grandfather's. I took him to Green's book tour, and it's been wonderful to connect with him over this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Racism, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Colonisation, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pandemic/Epidemic
Minor: Child death, Racism
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Medical content, Medical trauma
challenging
emotional
informative
slow-paced
I liked this book very much. But I had trouble getting into it, maybe I read it at the wrong time. Will definitely read it again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Medical content
Moderate: Child death, Racism, Pandemic/Epidemic
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
A very solid explanation of Tuberculosis, the systems that allow its spread, and how we can change our way of addressing this disease. It is evident that this book was a labor of love from John Green, and I particularly enjoyed going back to the human element of this awful affliction. As a more scientifically minded person, I often forget that there are many social and constructed systems which underlie the spread of a disease, in addition to the way we perceive these diseases. I appreciated this perspective! This is an excellent read and I would highly recommend it to people who enjoy learning about medicine and disease in the past and present.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Blood, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Child death, Abandonment
emotional
informative
reflective
medium-paced
just going to recommend this to everyone that knows me now
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Death, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pandemic/Epidemic