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Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
24 reviews
sierrah_2101's review
4.25
For me, this book was a fairly slow start as Kolker first sets up the history between Mimi and Don, where we can already see cracks forming in their partnership. But, once Donald - their first son - was born, things quickly spiraled from there. My main appreciation for this book was Kolker's writing. Whether it comes to complicated family interactions or translating complex technical and medical discoveries for the layman. It very rarely dragged, and at times, it almost felt like time was moving too fast through the pages. I never felt lost or overwhelmed until the
As for the downsides, there were only two major ones. One of which other reviewers have also brought up multiple times, but I wish that there was more discussion of the personal thoughts, feelings, and perspectives of other family members other than the two youngest daughters, which are Kolker's focuses throughout the story. I understand the difficulty in interviewing people with schizophrenia, especially people with as severe cases as some of the Galvin sons had, but it almost felt like half the story was missing without their opinions and ideas presented really at all.
The other is that, despite the many decades of devoted scientific work it feels as though... Not much happened? Again, I can't blame this on Kolker at all, I went into this book understanding it wasn't going to "crack the case on schizophrenia" at all, but there sadly wasn't much more than,
Overall, this is a fascinating and very digestible read that will leave you just as hopeful as upset with everything these parents and twelve children went through. An enlightening and humble book, I would highly recommend Kolker's work to anyone interested in the history of mental illnesses and the monumental cultural and scientific changes that America has seen in the past 60 years. 4.25/5 stars.
Graphic: Rape, Mental illness, Incest, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Murder, Gun violence, Death, Suicide, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Medical content, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Emotional abuse, Drug use, War, Physical abuse, and Infidelity
lookinabook's review
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Child abuse, Drug use, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Cursing, Medical trauma, Suicide, Violence, and Gun violence
Minor: Abortion
missmichalalynn's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Self harm, Pedophilia, Drug use, Death, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Rape, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
samarakroeger's review
4.0
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Child abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicide
aeriecircus's review
4.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Moderate: Bullying, Rape, Child abuse, Incest, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Murder, and Suicide
Minor: Gun violence, Confinement, and Physical abuse
ejanep's review
3.5
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Sexual assault, Rape, Suicide, Pedophilia, Gun violence, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
ciiku's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Gun violence and Animal cruelty
Minor: Abortion
librarymouse's review
4.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Murder, Pedophilia, Animal death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicide, Ableism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, Rape, and Suicide attempt
bersblue's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Emotional abuse, Murder, Mental illness, Addiction, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Violence, Suicide, Gun violence, Drug use, Death, and Child abuse
megwilli's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Medical content
Moderate: Incest, Suicide, and Sexual assault
Minor: Gun violence