Reviews tagging 'Sexual assault'

The Immortal Life Of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

89 reviews

lianne_rooney's review against another edition

challenging informative tense slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Racism, and Medical content

Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Death of parent

allisonmaier's review against another edition

challenging informative sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder

eqrvn's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative medium-paced

3.75

spoiler free review - Amazing book and extremely informative. I had to read this for biology and oh my god, I learned things I never knew happened in history. This book is more of a critique on medical ethics rather than actual biology, but I think that’s the best part. It can be a bit of a bore for most people so that’s why i rated it 3.75, but I personally enjoyed it. I wouldn’t call it a favorite, though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Racism and Medical trauma

Minor: Death of parent

moniipeters's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

bootrat's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Medical content, Grief, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism

maybephasing's review against another edition

emotional informative medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer and Medical content

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Death of parent

Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Domestic abuse, and Racism

hhwanghyunjin's review against another edition

emotional informative medium-paced

5.0

I recently finished "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" and I have to say, it is one of the most fascinating and thought-provoking books I have read in a long time. The book tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, a woman whose cells were taken without her knowledge or consent in 1951 and used in scientific research that led to many groundbreaking discoveries, including the polio vaccine.

The author, Rebecca Skloot, does an excellent job of weaving together the story of Henrietta and her family with the larger scientific and ethical issues surrounding the use of human tissues in research. Skloot's writing is clear and engaging, and she manages to make complex scientific concepts accessible to the layperson.

What really sets this book apart, however, is its deeply human element. Skloot's relationship with Henrietta's daughter, Deborah, and the Lacks family is a major part of the book, and it is clear that Skloot cares deeply about telling their story with sensitivity and respect. As a history teacher, I appreciate how Skloot situates Henrietta's story within the broader context of medical experimentation on African Americans throughout history.

Overall, "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of medicine, ethics, or social justice. I cannot recommend it highly enough. 5/5 stars.


"If you want to see your grandmother alive, you need to come home right now." - The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, p. 74.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer and Medical trauma

Moderate: Racism, Sexual assault, and Violence

Minor: Cursing and Incest

deenene's review against another edition

emotional informative slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Violence

Moderate: Racism

allygogo's review against another edition

emotional informative sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, and Medical trauma

martha_is_reading's review against another edition

I was enjoying the book and found the history of the HeLa cells fascinating; while the treatment of Henrietta Lacks and her family was sad to listen to. I would have carried on but about a quarter of the way through there were a lot of graphic descriptions of the physical and sexual violence that Henrietta’s children were subjected to after her death and I just found it too much 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Sexual harassment