Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

111 reviews

booksbythekilo's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Abortion

Moderate: Misogyny

daralexandria's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Blood, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Suicide

veeronald's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative sad fast-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Excrement, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Suicide and Toxic relationship

emilyeehaw's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

this book was such an interesting read! we follow julia, a nurse in a maternity/fever ward, trying to help expectant mothers who also have the flu. reading about a flu epidemic while being in a pandemic was definitely a journey. there were several moments where i had to pause and just marvel at how history repeats itself, the understaffed hospital, how quickly people get sick, the fear of people just trying to live their lives, the government incompetence, all of it.

i loved our main character, julia, she was competent and compassionate and was just doing her best. i loved the moments when she realized how fucked up some aspects of her society and her job were and bent the rules to do the most good. 

the descriptions of giving birth and carrying a baby....OOF made me want to never have children. the author clearly did research into the practices of 1918 and maternal health because there were moments when i wondered "how could someone possibly know all of this?" it felt so real and well-described as if the author herself was somehow a time traveling nurse from this period of history. 

tw: discussions of miscarriage, stillbirth, maternal death, child abuse, domestic violence, a pandemic, war, graphic descriptions of child birth, medical procedures

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Miscarriage, and Medical content

camillessi's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Medical content, and Grief

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Domestic abuse

j_sherrill's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Miscarriage, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, and Medical trauma

marieketron's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I listened to the audiobook for this and the narrator had a great voice and rhythm, but there were two moments I noted where she very suddenly increased in volume which gave me a small jump scare. The story on covers three days, which I didn’t realise at the start and is probably why the ending felt a bit sudden to me. The characters all are distinct and reflect a variety of backgrounds. I could really relate with the main character second guessing herself as she is left in a position of responsibility and authority. She is occasionally overwhelmed but often managed to rally. I’m not sure if I wish we had more of her approach in the current pandemic, but she does bring a human touch. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Medical content

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Miscarriage, Sexism, Terminal illness, Blood, and Medical trauma

Minor: Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Grief, and Religious bigotry

gothicgoddess's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood and Medical content

annabunce's review against another edition

tense slow-paced

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

2.75

 You definitely got the feeling editing on this book was rushed to get it out the door given the topic's relevance. I think about 12 people "shrugged" in response to a question which was painful. This book would be great if you're someone who loves a medical drama or find medical procedures fascinating but honestly I got a bit squeamish while reading all the graphic details. Like other books of Emma Donoghue the pacing of this book was a bit frustrating -sllloooowww build for 3/4 of the book and then all the action right at the end. Overall still interesting - Emma does a good job of researching and the information on Dr. Lynn, residential boarding homes, the 1918 flu and a window into 1918 Ireland was all really interesting but if you're squeamish I'd pass on this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Miscarriage, Blood, and Medical content

Moderate: Death

Minor: Child abuse and Domestic abuse

bookishbrittany's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

• 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

 This story hit hard.

I listened to it on audiobook so I didn't experience the lack of punctuation in the text and I think because of that I was about to take in the story more. I appreciate the unapologetic truth that giving birth is not pretty. Even more so at the height of the Spanish Flu/the end of World War I in Ireland.

This book is not for the faint of heart, but wow does it pack a punch and it hits close to home.

This is my first book by Donoghue and I think I may pick up her other books now because I enjoyed her writing style and they way she crafts a story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Miscarriage, Sexism, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Medical trauma

Minor: Death and Misogyny