Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Zaginione z Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman

17 reviews

kbio's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Confinement, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Drug abuse, Excrement, Blood, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Rape and Car accident

christylmcvay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-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

4.0

It’s based on a true story with some fictional characters & some with names changed. It’s a hard read about the horrors that happened to the patients at Willowbrook Stare School but it deserves to be told.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Excrement, Vomit, Violence, Physical abuse, and Medical trauma

the_romance_bookie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.5

This is a rough read.  Good, but mental institutions freak me out and this was such a tragic novel about some of the history behind America’s poor handling of mental illnesses in the past.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Grief, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Blood, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Rape, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, and Sexual assault

ehamlett's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Confinement, Death, and Mental illness

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Grief, and Child abuse

Minor: Abandonment and Sexual assault

amylynn_p's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Medical content, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Ableism, Excrement, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Suicide, Body horror, Child death, Grief, Medical trauma, and Torture

Perpetuates medicalized violence against disabled people.

slucchesi06's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Vomit

alilovesbooks4170's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Medical content, Self harm, Alcohol, Blood, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, and Child death

ladysquiddles's review against another edition

sad medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Abandonment, Murder, Violence, Ableism, Vomit, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, and Mental illness

Minor: Drug use

daralexandria's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Medical content, Mental illness, Vomit, Abandonment, Ableism, Excrement, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Sexual harassment

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

_theliteraturevillian_'s review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative medium-paced

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

4.0

Mind 👏🏾 Blown 👏🏾

Sage believed for six years her sister died of pneumonia only to find out at sixteen, her twin sister is being held at Willowbrook State School, “home” of the mentally declined. Sage takes a trip to Willowbrook to visit her sister and from there her life will never be the same. 

I was rooting for Sage from beginning to end. Every experience she went through I felt with her to the point I was tearing on the train. To know that this story was inspired by true events made me even more emotional. To know that actual people, actual children had suffered, died at Willowbrook makes my stomach churn with disgust. Being a psych grad, I could go on and on about state institutions but we’ll leave that for another day. 

2011 I received a letter from CSI (College of Staten Island) congratulating me on being accepted to their school. I turned down the offer due to the commute only for CSI to pop back into my life in the most unexpected way. What use to be Willowbrook State School is now the home of CSI. Definitely glad I turned them down 😩 ANYWAYS…

Character development ✅ 
Consistent tension✅
Engaging from start to finish✅
With a touch of history✅ 

Thank you @EllenMarieWiseman for teaching those of us who had no idea about Willowbrook. 

Is this a MUST READ or PASS? 

ITS A MUST READ

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Vomit, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Ableism, Alcohol, Child abuse, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts