Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Maps of Our Spectacular Bodies by Maddie Mortimer

11 reviews

moriahleigh's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Cancer, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Death, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Rape, Medical content, Grief, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Pregnancy and Car accident

an_emily's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Grief, Death of parent, and Medical content

agnesbebon's review

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Cancer, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Rape, Car accident, Chronic illness, Vomit, Bullying, Grief, Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship

hilaryreadsbooks's review

4.0

This is (to be blunt) first and foremost a book about death, about the anticipation of death. The daughter, a child watching her mother deteriorate, describes her jaundiced mother as yellow. The husband imagines waking up in bed without his wife. And the dying—Lia—sees her entire life mapped out to this point, narrated by the voice of disease, culminating in a heart wrenching ending where disease melds with woman, even as she says “body expansive. not mine.” 

As woman and disease consider her body’s history, Lia draws connections from point A to point B, wonders if the coming death is from having sinned. There is an underlying tenor of punishment: perhaps she is sick from what has been done to her body. perhaps violence can stay within, even after all these years later, and manifests as something physical, claw its way forward into the present. So, while this is a book about death, it is also a book about living. As in, how to live with the knowledge of how utterly fragile our lives are and what to do with that fragility. As in, how to recognize strength amongst our fragility. As in, how we continue. 

Pick up if you’re okay with feeling sad and progressively sadder and sadder, and if you like novel-in-verse. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Rape, Sexual assault, and Adult/minor relationship

dystopia's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Medical content, and Toxic relationship

leabhar_love's review

challenging dark funny reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death of parent, Death, Medical content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Cancer, Chronic illness, and Grief

bella_cavicchi's review

dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-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

5.0

Maddie Mortimer has written an absolute treasure. I feel as if words fail to describe the (cathartic) experience that is reading this: I smiled, I thought, I teared up, I gasped, I thought (some more), I cried. Mortimer so beautifully captures the sheer "aching-ness" of being human—as well as the joy. I already want to read it again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, Cancer, and Medical content

Moderate: Bullying and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Dementia

clagarnach_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Medical content, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death, Car accident, Cancer, Bullying, and Alcohol

halceeeeeeeee's review

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Cancer, Adult/minor relationship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Domestic abuse, and Infidelity

rowanhill's review

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

 This stunning poetic novel is an intimate exploration of mind, body, and experience in both their literal and symbolic manifestations. As main character Lia and her family struggle with a recurrence of breast cancer, the reader is taken on a journey through all of the pieces, past and present, that have shaped Lia both physically and personally. The experiment with prose and linguistic form throughout the book helps capture the entire human experience in a way that is hard to express in a short review like this. However, I also think that the non-traditional form can be divisive for readers who are expecting a more straightforward narrative. In short, this is a book that you “experience” rather than “read” and being able to resonate with the journey will be the difference between loving and disliking this novel. 

 Despite her turbulent past, children’s book author and illustrator Lia has finally found stability and happiness with her husband Harry and daughter Iris. However, this small slice of peace and happiness is once again thrown into turmoil when Lia finds out her cancer has returned. As Lia’s body is torn apart by both treatment and disease, the pieces of her past that have shaped her present are uncovered and reframed in both body and mind. Meanwhile, Harry and Iris must navigate their own challenges and the reality of life moving forward despite this sudden shift in their lives.

I received this novel through a giveaway and was completely blown away! I expected a heartfelt novel about a person’s struggle with cancer and how it affects their family; but I got so much more. Though cancer plays a big role, this book is truly an honest and intimate reflection on the many ways our experiences shape our bodies, minds, and relationships. Despite its poetic form, the book does not hit you over the head with lofty ideas but elegantly builds understanding through each character’s personal journey. The depth and complexity of human experience that this story is able to capture is remarkable and truly sets it apart.

I personally gave this book 5 stars, but there are still some elements that I think make this a book you will either love or simply not resonate with. Though not strictly a ‘novel in verse’, Mortimer tells this story through a variety of poetic forms and frequently utilizes non-traditional formatting. As such, the storytelling is not as straightforward as some readers prefer. The writing also has a ‘wandering’ feel and tends to shift perspective and time without warning. Though I personally liked the artistic effect of it, I can also see some readers feeling lost and/or confused. Additionally, this novel is slow moving and on the slightly longer side which could lead to some fatigue with the writing.

Ultimately, I think this book is best suited to readers who are willing to set aside expectations and go with the flow; let the experience unfold. One thing I can say for certain is that I would not try the audiobook on its own. Mortimer frequently creates visuals with her formatting that add to the overall experience of the story. I feel that a lot of the true art that sets this story apart simply won’t be captured in a purely auditory experience. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Cancer, and Death

Moderate: Bullying, Medical content, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual content, Addiction, Self harm, Car accident, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Physical abuse