Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller

11 reviews

sandysmith's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I'm not sure I can say I enjoyed this book as its themes were very dark and at times depressing, but I did love it. It's a slow burn about Jeanie and Julius 51 year old twins, who live their  mother, Dot, in an isolated cottage. Their mother dies suddenly at the start of the book. Jeannie is hardly able to read or write, and Julius finds it hard to keep down a job. Their lives unravelling due to the secrets their mother held. I can't say too much more regarding the plot so as not to give spoilers, but it is an emotional, reflective read, I felt for Jeannie and the situations she found herself in. If you are wanting an uplifting read, this is not one for you. But I found it brilliant, multi layered, sensitive, and a super read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Medical content

Minor: Infidelity

uss_mary_shelley's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Grief, Death of parent, Death, Medical content, Chronic illness, and Gun violence

feecee's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Grief

SPOILER First chapter has moderate descriptions of a stroke from the sufferer’s perspective SPOILER

wandawinterland's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Chronic illness, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content

miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

Well that was nice

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, Death of parent, and Gun violence

mirireads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcohol, Gun violence, Death of parent, Infidelity, Medical content, and Chronic illness

Minor: Sexual content

linguaphile412's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical trauma, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Violence

Minor: Sexual content and Infidelity

biblioghoul's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Violence, Gun violence, and Medical content

sara_m_martins's review

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

An atmospheric read about rural and moral poverty, "Unsettled Ground" follows twins Jeanie and Julius, and their dog Maude (does not die!), mainly from Jeanie's perspective, as they deal with their mother's death and the repercussions of it. 
In their 50's, living with their mother in a cottage and isolated from broader society for the most part, they start to truly navigate the world and, with that, their dire economic situation. Dealing with poverty, in particular rural poverty, but equally moral poverty (being without responsible adults that teach you how to be in the world), we see the consequences of the cycle of poverty, and of the lies and omissions from their mother. There is also a strong theme of illiteracy which I think it was a very strong, important and unusual perspective.
The writing was very atmospheric, which augmented a feeling of discomfort I had throughout the book.
The plot is on how the cycle of poverty feedbacks onto itself, a spiral that keeps going down, which is amplified by the moral poverty of the characters - their ignorance on what systems exist that can support them (and refusal to ask for/accept them). However, about 75% of the way through the "it gets worse" is drastic, with a change in gears that lost me for a sec, and needed a recalibration (

the starting point for Claire Fuller was "a vandalized caravan" in the middle of the woods, and I think it was the way she found to get there

). 
Their subplots of Julius' romance, and the family's love of music were a nice break from the main plot. I also think Jeanie can be read as asexual, from subtext, although I don't think it was done on purpose. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death of parent, and Death

Moderate: Gun violence, Blood, Chronic illness, Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Infidelity

deals in depth with poverty and homelessness

sjanke2's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Abandonment, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence