Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

109 reviews

claire_builds_a_stair's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content

Moderate: Child abuse and Child death

nodogsonthemoon's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Child death, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse

hbhentschel's review against another edition

dark emotional sad

3.5

It was a bit eerie to read about the last global pandemic while still caught up in the current one. Well-written but difficult to read because of the subject matter.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Gore

Minor: Domestic abuse and Child abuse

ekmoore11's review against another edition

reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Rape

carlybellesbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Religious bigotry

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Incest, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, and Vomit

kayleyhyde's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Medical content, Medical trauma, Blood, and Gore

Moderate: Sexism and Religious bigotry

Minor: Sexual assault, Rape, Vomit, Pedophilia, and Mental illness

nedreadsbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

 The written equivalent of a painted masterpiece depicting a train wreck. Beautiful, captivating, hopeful and tragic all at once.

Set in Dublin, Ireland in 1918, this novel follows a maternity nurse working in a makeshift ward for pregnant patients with influenza during a national pandemic. It follows dramatic losses of life and celebrates successful births while intertwining unique stories and experiences of women during this time.

This book captivated me from beginning to end. Though this whole story takes place over three days, its pace is consistent and does not leave the reader wanting more. The story was beautiful, and it was clear that there was a large amount of research that went into the writing of this novel. Interestingly enough, Emma Donoghue does not use quotation marks in this novel, blurring the lines between thought and speech. I found this slightly unusual at first but was quickly able to pick up the intended meanings.

This novel is quite heavy, and I strongly suggest that potential readers pay attention to previously posted content warnings. If you are comfortable immersing yourself in these experiences, however, this book held a powerful and touching story about human resilience and compassion through difficult times. 

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Content Warnings

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

catcrowcandle's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content and Death

Moderate: Child death and Terminal illness

eniatea's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, and Physical abuse

donaldleitch's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

This historical novel pulls the reader into an overcrowded maternity room of a Dublin hospital at the height of the Spanish flu epidemic. The First World War is still in progress, maiming those involved both physically and mentally. The novel also touches on the Irish uprisings of the period and the influence of the Catholic Church in the day to day lives of many. With these themes, it is hard to say that I enjoyed the novel, however I found the novel both enlightening and inspiring.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Medical content, and Death

Moderate: Miscarriage