Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

80 reviews

godhood's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful tense slow-paced

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

4.5

This was actually the main difference between twenty-one and fifty-one, he decided, the sheer volume of regret.

Been a while since I read a book that checks all the boxes of things I like in a book. The prose, the pacing, the non-linear narrative, the it's terrible but this all will pass message, the characters, the human connections being made in terrible times theme, the entirety of it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Gun violence

Moderate: Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Violence

Minor: Suicide

lilifane's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

At this point I would read everything Emily St. John Mandel writes. Her writing style and her stories are just so special.

I love the melancholic atmosphere and the way she constructs the plot. The different characters with unique voices and stories that seem so random but are somehow connected to each other. I love these connections. One of the revelations was pretty obvious very early on but I still liked the way it was explained bit by bit.

The beginning of the pandemic was so eerie, the world that turned into a giant lost place strangely exciting to explore. I could write so much more about the characters I fell in love with, the friendships and found families formed in impossible times, the world I felt so much for, the small details. And I wish there was more. This book could go on forever. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Child death, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Medical content, Murder, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Violence

beauty_andbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

Take note, folks: It is only May and I think this book will be my favorite read of 2021!

Wow. Thats all I got to say. This book left me speechless. The interconnectivity of the plot and characters was so well done! I just never wanted to put it down. Perhaps that is why I read it within two sittings, which never happens for me. The characters were all so likable and diverse, both culturally and just in their personality. I will say, if you have any sort of PTSD from COVID-19, maybe don't read this book right now. I will suggest you read it in the near future though. The main plot is a flu like disease that wipes out the world. So yeah, before you read, make sure it won't be triggering for you. 

I don't even know how to review this book, because its so good. But if you love dystopian, end of the world type stories, then read this. And even if you just want a book that causes you to sit there and just think, read this book. I am kicking myself for not reading this book sooner when it was recommended to me two years ago! Read it soon!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Gun violence, Death of parent, Death, and Child death

amyrandles1's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Medical content, Gun violence, Sexual violence, and Violence

awells96's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse and Suicide

Minor: Animal death, Child death, and Pedophilia

esmithumland's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I didn't realize how appropriate this book was when I picked it up, but I'm glad I did. A fascinating story built really well. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Terminal illness, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Medical content, Gun violence, and Death

lunarliz's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

Such a wonderful book. I am very glad I read it, one I could read many times and always find something new in it, though it will never be the same as reading it the first time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Terminal illness, and Suicide

Moderate: Confinement, Infidelity, Sexual assault, and Rape

Minor: Blood, Confinement, and Violence

namizaela's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

"I stood looking over my damaged home and tried to forget the sweetness of life on Earth."

I don't usually read post-apocalyptic fiction, and I didn't really know much before reading this book, so I was unpleasantly surprised to discover that the whole premise of this book was exploring society after a devastating pandemic. Nevertheless, I read on, and honestly this book was not what I expected. The moments of tension were interrupted with chapters of character study, which I found a little strange. The plot seemed to go nowhere, and the climax of the book fell a little flat.
But I don't think the point of the book was to deliver a gripping plot. To me, the point seemed to be to explore what humanity really is. It's interesting to see how the individual character studies of the pre-pandemic world compare to the more sweeping generalizations about the post-apocalyptic human society. Both are done really well–in both cases, I got the sense that humans have the capacity for terrible evil as well as kindness. 
Even though this book wasn't what I was expecting at all, I loved it. The language is beautiful, and I especially loved the character of Miranda, who I think is written the best out of all of them. This was a wonderful, interesting story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Medical trauma, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide, Gun violence, and Medical content

Minor: Mental illness and Adult/minor relationship

glitzersmilla's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Medical content

Moderate: Suicide and Violence

Minor: Mental illness

bookishbutch's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

What a beautiful, poignant novel! It's, at its core, a love letter to the power of the arts and the bonds and love between total strangers who are just as scared and lonely as you. All in all, a lovely book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Gun violence, Medical content, Terminal illness, Infidelity, Violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Cursing

Minor: Suicide, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Domestic abuse