Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

The Other Significant Others: Reimagining Life with Friendship at the Center by Rhaina Cohen

5 reviews

mfrisk's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

This book was incredibly meaningful to me as someone who values friendships being a core part of my life. 

I loved getting to see all the different friendships and how they acted as core support systems for people in this book as well as the explanation of ways our current legal system and societal structures prioritizes one set relationship - that being married couples and largely white and wealthy heterosexual married couples who can take advantage of the benefits available to them solely due to to their marital status and the privilege of holding that status. 

This quote in particular stood out to me: 

The expectations of modern romance risk narrowing the scope of our imaginations, making us believe that romantic relationships are our sole legitimate option, that we must find everything we need in one person, leaving little room to picture others as potential significant others. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Homophobia, Grief, and Cancer

spaghettireads's review

hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer

katmystery's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

This challenges society's perception that life should be centered around a romantic relationship and, instead, illustrates how friendship can serve the same purpose. A person can build their life around a platonic partner or a group of friends, which often offers better support because it does not require someone to expect every emotional need to be fulfilled by just one person; romantic relationships are not inherently more important or powerful than platonic ones. Each chapter focuses on a different pair or group of friends. It was emotionally heavy to read, but I learned a lot, and it changed how I think about the close friends in my life.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Cancer, Child death, Suicide, and Homophobia

daryn's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Grief, and Death

Minor: Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Acephobia/Arophobia

torturedreadersdept's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Acephobia/Arophobia, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Abandonment, Infertility, Gaslighting, Cancer, Death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship

This was a great, really informative read. I have always been someone who really valued friendship above family, and often above romantic partnerships as well, so it was really interesting to read about multiple groups of people, some who lived with their close friends, some who prioritized their friendship and eschewed romantic relationships, some who became caregivers for each other… it was really inspiring and lovely, and a great reminder of the ways that deep connection can occur, whether people are dating or married or what. The book ends with an analysis of the types of needs these pairs or triads have and the legal and societal reforms that they would benefit from, and it was genuinely really thought-provoking as well as very heartfelt and well-researched.