Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

70 reviews

jscoot22's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Death, Physical abuse, Cancer, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Violence, Alcoholism, Grief, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Mental illness

hannahrose_fgc's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Vomit, Death of parent, Violence, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Grief, and Domestic abuse

snuggie25's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Car accident, Medical trauma, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Mental illness, Confinement, and Colonisation

carriehaley89's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Mental illness

Moderate: Blood and Medical trauma

Minor: Vomit

rosecott's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Beautiful, heartbreaking, devastating, incredible! Surprised me so many times! The main character was wonderful, as was the scene setting of Alaska. The kind of book that just lives in you. A story about absolutely unconditional love. 
Highly recommend but warn that your heart will be ripped out and stomped on before the end!!!
I listened to the audio book which was brilliant but this is one I am sure I would have been equally as enthralled by the physical book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Grief, Death, War, Mental illness, Murder, Death of parent, Violence, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Cancer, Car accident, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

debbilynn42's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Alcoholism, Medical content, Alcohol, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, War, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Misogyny, and Physical abuse

lindsayvale's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Blood, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Violence, Car accident, and Death of parent

Moderate: Cancer

Minor: War and Vomit

amanda_reads13's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

Lenny's father moves their family to Alaska . At first, it seems like their prayers have been answered, her father seems happy for once. But they are wholely unprepared for the life ahead of them in the Great Alone as Alaska reveals the truth of who they all really are. 

This book destroyed me and then built me back up again. In this beautiful story, we follow Lenny's emotional and difficult journey of self-discovery. Every turn is wracked with hardship and pain. Lenny is one of the most resilient and complex characters I have read in a long time. Every turn of the page seemed to bring a new challenge that she bravely faces and overcomes. Her story is complex and hard to read at times as she endured her father's abuse and her parents tumultuous relationship. 

Matthew's storyline was equally as challenging. His family has been in Alaska for generations, basically Alaska Royalty.  I loved how we got to see the progression of his and Lenny's friendship, from childhood to teens in love to adults fighting for their future together. Like Lenny, he has endured so much pain

(the death of his mother, his accident, years of rehabilitation), yet he has survived it all in hopes that Lenny will come back to him one day. Their reunion had me in tears.

I want to call her mother selfish, she held back Lenny and in a way used her as a shield. But, she was a battered and abused woman. Broken in so many ways, just trying to survive and keep her daughter safe. Should she have left her abusive husband? Obviously we are all screaming yes to this question. Yet, it is not that simple. Her mind was in survival mode, just survive the day, the week, hopeful that it will get better. The psychology of an abused woman is complex and I think that this book highlights this in an accurate way. 

I loved the setting of this book.  Small town, backwoods Alaska, off the grid community full of colourful character who support each other through difficulties in such an isolated place. The setting was vibrant and authentic. It is it's own character in this novel. Alaska the last frontier, beautiful one moment, trying to kill you the next. 

The supporting characters were some of my favourite. Tough women who were living off the land and succeeding in such a harsh environment. Large Marge was obviously the stand out. She is tough, but so compassionate and caring. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Grief, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and Toxic relationship

abica12's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, and Murder

samburkhouse's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Gore, Medical trauma, and Violence

Moderate: Terminal illness, Cancer, Gun violence, Xenophobia, Alcoholism, Animal death, and Car accident

Minor: Sexual content, Confinement, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, and Vomit