Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Stay with Me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀

12 reviews

kellyofcali's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

A very tough story - not for those who cannot deal with a series of crushing blows - but well written and I did feel it paints a picture of a certain place and experience. I don't know if I can say I enjoyed it, per se, given the heaviness, but I am glad I read it. I will say it is "pitched" mush differently than it reads - it's more about being in a marriage, relationships, and being a parent than about a second wife. I also found it ended a bit suddenly for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Death, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Grief, Child death, Dysphoria, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Infertility, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Abandonment, and Physical abuse

Minor: War

pranjuli's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Child death, Terminal illness, Infertility, and Grief

themildone's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Miscarriage, and Infertility

Moderate: Terminal illness

vedpears's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Loved this book. The story sucked me in right away and made me tear up and/or cry a few times. As a mother, there were certain plot points that struck very deeply. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Death, Grief, Child death, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Dysphoria, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Toxic relationship, War, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Bullying, Gun violence, and Mass/school shootings

reading_and_roaming20's review against another edition

emotional sad fast-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? Yes

4.5

Oh my poor, poor heart. It is heavy and sad and feeling many feels. That’s it. That’s the review. 

Ok jk, that’s not the whole review but that’s the gist. 

I really enjoyed the dual timelines happening here. The structure was similar to THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN where we’re in the character’s present day every few chapters and learning about the past for the majority of the book. 

In this case, we got to see Yejide and Amin’s marriage from both of their perspectives. Watching them go from young and in love, knowing from the first chapter that they don’t wind up together, pulled me right in. They had so much stacked against them with infertility and the cultural family pressure to have children. (Big trigger warning there.)

In a short 260 pages, this story hits time and time again with heartbreaking twists that had me pausing to soak in what I had just read. 

AND THAT ENDING. I can’t express myself properly without spoilers. It just………..it was good but it hurt. 

This is the kind of book that you have to be in the right mindset for. That said, if you’re ready to wind up emotionally ragged, it is absolutely a must-read. I loved it. I am sad. The end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Child death, and Terminal illness

bookish_houseplant's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This is probably the most emotionally difficult book I have ever read. I just finished it and I'm shaking and sobbing. After part one as someone who has always wanted children but doesn't have any yet, I had to put it down. I picked it back up today and read the rest all at once. It's like a train crash; terrible to watch but you can't look away. Don't read this if you want something light-hearted. However I rate books on how much they make me feel something and this book is beautifully written and absolutely tore my heart out. If you're up for that, I highly recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Pregnancy, and Child death

Moderate: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Racism, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Violence, and War

If you enjoyed Violet Evergarden I think you would appreciate this and vice versa

n_li_re's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Pregnancy, Sexism, Infertility, Child death, and Death

Moderate: Death of parent, War, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Murder, Vomit, and Violence

Minor: Alcohol, Blood, Excrement, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Mental illness

lilyarmer's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Violence, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Mental illness, and Grief

amberinbookland's review against another edition

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Gun violence, Child death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, War, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Murder, Miscarriage, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Blood, Alcohol, and Abandonment

deezy's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Murder