Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Big Swiss by Jen Beagin

16 reviews

queenbookbuff's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

1.0

I read this book for my bookclub. I finished it because I am bothered when people show up to bookclubs unprepared. If not for that, I would have never finished this book. I am appalled by the behavior of the main character, and the woman she was obsessed with. I feel like the author was deliberately being provocative, and it felt overdone and trite. If you have trauma with suicide, assault, depression, sex, drugs, and stalking don't read this book.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, and Medical trauma

oliviakoeppen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

3.0

The author’s descriptions of feelings & events simultaneously enamored me and disgusted me. This book made me feel a lot, but mostly feelings of discomfort and embarrassment. I am glad I read it but would be contentious in who I recommend this book to. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Drug use, Addiction, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Gore, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and Mental illness

plumdustsuns's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

0.25

😭😭 the plot was so all over the place and everything was so racist. I need to stop listening to online book recommendations/buying them because the book has queer content. 
There was no linear string of concentration. Went from flavia’s trauma to random affair to Greta’s random descent into jealousy without showing that she had a tendency to be as much and that her mom was the same way. The blasé way of ‘I didn’t care that my mother offed herself’ in the last therapy session versus her using and being bogged down and sad by this trauma was not only conflicting but distasteful. Also Om randomly caring about her when she’s just his transcriptionist and his care/their friendship not even being handled before?? It’s not plausible/would have made for a better plot line and betrayal and made sense when he offered her sessions if they were friends or friendly. He said ‘Lmao’ when she said her house was cold and rain was coming in. And he suddenly cares? 
And Keith was made out to be such a big deal and the stalker narrative and it barely did anything/added anything into the story? It wasn’t even resolved in the end properly?
Greta saying she had been SA’ed but it never coming up for her own intimacy issues? And it was just an offhand mention?? 
Also racist humour and just… so much wrong with this book, man. And how Flavia reacts to/keeps coming back to Greta doesn’t quite make sense. Also Greta gaslighting Flavia that adultery was worse than what she did? No??? 
Absolute fucking disappointment. Just a lazy and unfocused book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Stalking, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Self harm, Drug use, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Racism, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Infidelity, and Physical abuse

izzypietrzyk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

Greta is a transcriber for the worst sex therapist in Huston. She often forgets about the confidentiality agreement she signed at the job when encountering her boss’ clients outside of her job. When she recognises the voice of ‘big Swiss’ (a Swiss woman with a sharp voice) at the dog park, she makes up a new persona for herself and develops a relationship  with her under false pretences. 

This is a dark comedy full of sex, trauma and grotesque situations involving animals. 
Written with an extreme about of skill and wit, the characters are brought up to life on every page that you end up feeling like you’ve met them in your real life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Grief, Drug use, Suicide, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Medical trauma

lilminx's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

1.0

Not my cup of tea. Lots of broken, unlikable characters trying to figure out life which isn't my favorite thing to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Mental illness, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Torture, Drug abuse, Addiction, Medical trauma, Violence, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Murder, Rape, Blood, and Gore

tjasmz's review against another edition

dark funny medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Cursing, Medical trauma, Grief, Misogyny, Drug abuse, Self harm, Stalking, Blood, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping

xxthefoolonthehillxx's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Physical abuse

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Rape, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Stalking, Self harm, Sexual harassment, and Drug abuse

minimimi's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective 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

4.25

Trigger warning: discussion of suicide, domestic violence, stalking, and graphic violence *does not take place in real time, only recalled*

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Medical content, Drug use, Stalking, Blood, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, and Infidelity

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, and Animal cruelty

jussmcam's review against another edition

dark funny inspiring fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Mental illness, Stalking, Gun violence, Cursing, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Violence, Medical trauma, Grief, Suicide, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Murder

the_tea_collector22's review against another edition

dark funny reflective medium-paced

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

2.25

This was such an odd book, lots of kinda of grotesque like humor and characters that are just so deeply weird that they feel very human, but in like some of the worst ways we can be human? Needless to say it’s a messy book about messy people and messy relationships. I’m not sure lit fic is my thing because I’m still not entirely sure how to digest what I’ve read and know what it means even though I finished the book hours ago. So to me it was just okay, but it had an interesting premise. I think I just found the characters to be unlikeable and grating, and it didn’t seem like they truly grew or changed that much at the end so it felt like a unfinished resolution. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence