Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

All's Well by Mona Awad

74 reviews

stripes_and_naps's review against another edition

dark emotional funny medium-paced

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

5.0

By the time I finished the first few paragraphs I knew I was hooked. The sardonic humor, paired with painfully relatable chronic pain representation set the tone for what truly was a wild ride. While I can admit that this book is not for everyone, I enjoyed the surreal elements as they kept me guessing. I also really enjoyed the references to Shakespeare. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Kurt Vonnegut’s work or who loves a good antihero. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, Medical content, Death, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Medical trauma, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Death of parent, Misogyny, and Gaslighting

lifeofchrstnlvly's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Although All's Well is classified as horror, similar to Bunny, but it could be more appropriately categorized under magical realism (or perhaps surrealism), just like Bunny. 

This book confirmed my suspicion that Mona Awad will be an auto-buy author for me. Awad has indeed made it to my list of favorite authors because I have an affinity for the peculiar. 

Articulating my thoughts on Awad's books is always a challenge, despite the excellence of her prose and storytelling. Rating All's Well was difficult as I found the ending slightly underwhelming. I sought more rage and a more unhinged narrative. 

While I rate Bunny higher (I wish I could read that book for the first time again), All's Well is still a good read. It's just so frustrating for me to still not know what Miranda's, the main character of All's Well, mental health issue is, unlike in Bunny when it was clearly schizophrenia. However, maybe I'm overanalyzing and All's Well is merely about the dismissal of women's pain coupled with misogyny, even from women themselves. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Misogyny, Drug abuse, Grief, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Body horror, Chronic illness, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Mental illness

Minor: Sexual content

mylou's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious

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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Infertility

hazyskyys's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Medical trauma

talis_turner's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

There are sexual elements to this book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Drug abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Chronic illness, Drug use, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Death, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Injury/Injury detail

dudeguyface's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Chronic illness, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Medical content, Sexual content, Death, Drug use, and Mental illness

rachelly's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Grief, and Addiction

luckykosmos's review against another edition

challenging tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Incredibly stressful, I'm obsessed. I think people who didn't quite click with Bunny should give this one a shot - the way that All's Well and Macbeth as stories were paralleled in the story, how Miranda was using those around her as set dressing for reclaiming the life before her injury, was amazing. I adore Mona Award. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness

Moderate: Ableism

Minor: Medical trauma

pagesfromhome's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

Awad really went there with this one. I have literally never read a book like this one in the best way possible.

Her stream-of-consciousness first-person writing is impeccable and pulls you through Miranda's story wonderfully. You go from pitying her to hating her to questioning her to fearing her to being scared for her, and through all of it you're left wondering what in the world could happen next. Awad does an incredible job of weaving Shakespearean nods throughout the characters and the plot seamlessly and it was really fascinating to see how she used that in her craft.

This also does a wonderful job of highlighting what it is to live with chronic pain with the need to be a "good patient" and how anger and fear can get involved. All in all, I'd call this a perfect book club pick or definitely one to add to your list if you like a story that keeps you guessing at every turn.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness and Medical trauma

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Addiction

venice_the_vampire's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

god i love love LOVED the beginning of the book and the depictions of chronic pain so much, they way they were written were so interesting and real and relatable. i also really love that i was at times angrily on miranda’s side, while at other times i felt horrifically guilty for almost beginning to doubt her pain and deem her an unreliable narrator, like everyone else in her life clearly has. the book was a bit confusing, and the end didn’t quite satisfy me, but i still absolutely adored the book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Chronic illness, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Minor: Blood and Gaslighting