Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness by Susannah Cahalan

3 reviews

elvahn's review against another edition

dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced

5.0

This book highlights the importance of empathy in the medical profession and calls attention to the grave harm of misdiagnoses that can result from lack of information or simply not taking the time to dive deeper into a parent's case.

By the end, there is also some hope in that though sharing her story, others get access to real help, and medical science is furthered. Even the doctor who had decided she was simply "partying" too hard rather than take her symptoms more seriously (my rage boiled over reading about this man) eventually refers to her experience to direct patients to help.

Part memoir, part call to action, part humane medical text(??), the author weaves us through her month of madness, using interviews, journals, and hospital footage to help complete the story. Engaging, well-done.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Terminal illness

Moderate: Dementia, Excrement, Cancer, Death, Mental illness, and Vomit

maddiearthur's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring tense fast-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, Chronic illness, Dementia, Medical content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Fatphobia

bartlebies's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-paced

3.5

Boy howdy the narrator for the audiobook was awful. Can we ban white people doing bad accents when there is literally no reason to do them?? christ. 

The book itself was okay, but I felt like it lacked any deeper meaning beyond “i had this rare disorder and it sucked for everyone and now i’m better” which is unfortunate since she’s a reporter/writer who you would think would be a better writer. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Medical trauma, Chronic illness, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Self harm

Minor: Addiction, Blood, Body shaming, Death, Dementia, Infertility, Forced institutionalization, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Self harm, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Ableism, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Child death