Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

37 reviews

didireadthat's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective 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? No

4.75

The layers of development, community, characters, and pot of this book is unmatched. It's an amazing story that takes into account a lot of the complex relationships that were forming in 1930's America during the early Melting-pot age, and it looks at the relationships and between communities and individuals in a very complex and real way. Everyone's actions have consequences but depending on your status in the direct community and overall, in the Amercian hierarchy those consequences and how your actions affect your neighbors will be different.
The characters were all amazingly well developed, diverse, and relatable. I loved them all. 
I think this story is better read than listened to because there are so many characters and smaller plots to follow that it did take more focus from me to really dive into the book and be excited about the mystery rather than confused. (definitely read the first chapter again once you're done with the book)
I took off .25 of a star because there are some points that I think McBride stuck into the novel that felt out of place. The first about cellphones in the future and the second about gun violence in America, also in the future. These are great topics that should be discussed but they felt out of place in this book. At least in the ways they were presented. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Excrement, Rape, Classism, Antisemitism, Sexual assault, Ableism, and Racism

ljtademy3's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective 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

5.0

I am speechless. James McBride has once again found a way to invoke the deepest emotional experience for me as a reader. This book provides commentary on racism, sexism, ableism, meritocracy, and the violence required to sustain these systems in a narrative built around a small community of very real and dimensional characters. The characters are so humorous, strong-willed, and are given depth/background spanning generations prior that allows you to see each character for so much more than most books allow you to see the characters. There are several plots taking place in this book and none of them are without reason. Every detail in the story is meticulously placed to create a really touching story. I read Deacon King Kong last year and loved it to pieces. The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store was a much more difficult read due to graphic content, but it is again not without reason that difficult topics are included in this story. James McBride has hands down become my favorite author and it is by a landslide. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Medical trauma, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Antisemitism, Classism, Death of parent, Ableism, Excrement, Death, Forced institutionalization, and Grief

Minor: Infertility

stineshea's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Racism, and Death

jillaay_h's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Religious bigotry, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Hate crime, Rape, Sexual violence, Ableism, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Medical content, Antisemitism, Classism, Death, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, and Violence

everamplify's review

emotional funny informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Medical trauma, Antisemitism, Rape, Grief, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Murder, Sexism, Death, Cultural appropriation, Racial slurs, and Racism

jennaviolet's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, and Racism

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Murder, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Excrement, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Rape, and Violence

alwayscariabook's review against another edition

5.0

Yes lots of content warnings but so take care of yourself but truly this is a tremendous, amazing book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Pedophilia, Medical trauma, Racial slurs, and Child abuse

omarickman's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization and Racial slurs

Moderate: Abandonment, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Racism, Sexism, Grief, Physical abuse, Violence, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Ableism, Blood, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Excrement, Classism, and Death

Minor: Vomit, Rape, Infertility, Murder, and Pedophilia

books_brews_and_booze's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective medium-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? It's complicated

James McBride does it again. He's crafted a compelling, well-written, powerful story with special attention paid to the setting, to the characters, to humanity.

One of the greatest storytellers of this time, in my humble opinion. I'd love to see school curriculums include his books in their lists, if they aren't already doing so.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Grief, Antisemitism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Racism, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, and Chronic illness

Minor: Abandonment and Excrement

emandherbooks42's review against another edition

challenging emotional slow-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? N/A

3.5

The audiobook is performed beautifully. However, I struggled with the pace in several places where things got overly expositional. There are some lovely characters, and I wish some of the women had been given more satisfying endings. The author definitely had a tell > show style-so much so that it feels like listening to a sermon. There was also a seemingly random (and unnecessary) act of sexual violence against a child. I don’t see how it added anything to the plot, and therefore I found it gratuitous. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Violence, Racial slurs, Antisemitism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, and Medical trauma

Minor: Child abuse