Reviews tagging 'Misogyny'

The Women by Kristin Hannah

142 reviews

shibaunited's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Stalking, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Classism

burnourhistory's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Infertility, Miscarriage, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

Minor: Abortion

chanatova's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, and Forced institutionalization

knkoch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-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

3.75

This is an impressively researched and thorough historical novel that gives attention to a neglected contingent of the Vietnam War: the women and men who served as combat nurses and surgeons. The detail in the medical, shelling, and in-country scenes was gripping. I do appreciate that the entirety of Frankie's two tours only covers the first half of the book, as understandbly Frankie's main battle after surviving Vietnam is surviving and eventually healing from the PTSD she acquires. I don't doubt the raw depictions of drug and alcohol abuse, depression, and suicidality she experiences were informed by Kristin Hannah's research into the accounts of real women who served as combat nurses. It does feel a little as though MC Frankie is present for and experiences a bit too much plot, which turns this from a realistic historical novel (character-wise) into a more educational amalgam of many experiences embodied by virtually a single character. That's not the worst thing, but it does change subtly what this is. I was reminded of Brotherless Night and how V.V. Ganeshananthan expertly established an entire community of Tamil Sri Lankans to spread out the impact of the events and impacts of civil war. In that book, the characters shown through a bit more because no one or two character withstood every personal challenge. So, while The Women felt detailed and real, I don't know that I quite believed Frankie was a real person, as much as she felt like a vessel.  

I think Hannah did well at balancing respect for the horrors of war that service members of all divisions experience without engaging in uncritical patriotism. Frankie and her fellow nurses were among many vets who ended up protesting U.S. wartime policy decisions, as well as their treatment by institutions like the VA and the invalidating dismissal of their roles they received once home. Self advocacy is a huge component of this story. Ultimately, there are so many people who got swept up and away by the larger political forces at work that initiated and sustained U.S. military operations in Vietnam. It's a complicated thing to both care for and support healing for veterans without condoning the governmental decisions that made them into veterans. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Police brutality, and Pregnancy

Minor: Torture

Not trying to utilize every possible TW, but it's a pretty raw look at PTSD resulting from war. The medical gore is about as explicit as can be.

gellyreads's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I struggled to understand the purpose of this book as I was reading it, even though I was enjoying it. A coworker recommended it to me, raving about it, talking abut how its about a woman who served in Vietnam and then her life after she came back. So, I won't lie, I thought this book would be about half in Vietnam and half back home. It's not. I would say maybe a quarter of the book is in Vietnam. That's not the purpose of this book. This book is about the forgotten women who have served, those who served that weren't soldiers, who still suffered the effects of PTSD, Agent Orange, and discrimination ruining their lives and bodies. Once I knew that's what this book was about, I thought it was pretty good. I genuinely liked the character of Frankie and enjoyed reading about her journey. Although....I was told I would cry. And this book is sad. But, I'm an easy crier and I don't think I ever came that close. My main complaint with this book has to do with the writing itself: it feels a little bit repetitive after a while. (How many times does she have to tell someone she was a vet? I mean...is this conversation and question a motif? I suppose it is. And it does serve its purpose; I'm sure that's exactly how it was as a woman coming back from 'Nam...but damn. It did get a little old after a while.) I also felt like the author did a lot of telling in her writing and not enough showing at times.

I felt like she shouldn't have included the whole plot of her one fellow combat nurse working for race relations; that felt like it was going to be significant and go somewhere, and it just never came back or was developed. I get that this is a white author and she may feel some kind of way, but it would've been nice to see Frankie at least.... talk about other issues? Besides mentioning them casually?? I also thought the whole "twist" (which, debatable? I saw it coming, and my coworker didn't, so idk if it is or isn't) with Rye being alive, then still being married and the affair was just... too much. I didn't need all that melodrama. I also didn't need her finding yet another an at the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Grief, Alcohol, and War

emmazimmer's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative sad tense fast-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

4.75

Beautiful story bringing light to a topic that is not well-known. Inspiring, challenging, and emotional. I cried throughout several parts of the book. I want to rate it 5 stars but

the ending was just a little too "perfect" for me. As happy as I was that Jamie and Frankie reunited after they both had time to heal, the realist in my knows that probably wouldn't have happened. What are the chances that both Rye and Jamie are revealed to have been alive the whole time? Plus, both were obvious reveals that I saw coming a mile away. I also wish that Jamie was mentioned more frequently throughout the book. The writing gives the impression that Frankie has forgotten/completely moved on from him. All this aside though, the plot as written made me happy and I'm very glad Frankie was able to get her happy ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Gore, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, War, and Injury/Injury detail

legalois's review

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Medical content, Medical trauma, and War

giamarie's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective tense fast-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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Infertility, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Fire/Fire injury

ktbreadsbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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

Wow. This was equal parts heartbreaking and enlightening for me. To be honest, my Vietnam War knowledge was minimal going into reading this, but with each new chapter and life event for Frankie I found myself obsessively googling for more info. I did read this in like a day and half, so I think I would've been more emotionally ruined if I had sat with it more. Kristin Hannah's writing is so beautiful, and shout out to my friend @Carrie for pointing out how books are more enjoyable when you're actually invested in the main character (i.e. why I didn't love Firefly Lane as much). Overall, incredible book that will stick with me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, and War

Moderate: Misogyny, Torture, and Medical content

spkme_44292'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: Addiction, Death, Grief, Alcohol, and War

Moderate: Drug use, Misogyny, Violence, and Medical trauma

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Suicide attempt