Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

The Women by Kristin Hannah

285 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

---

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

curly83185's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and War

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. 

---

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.

astridvb's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective 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? No

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, and Medical trauma

Minor: Miscarriage and Suicidal thoughts

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

---

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

raquellecollins's review against another edition

dark sad medium-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? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and War

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. 

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Misogyny, Torture, and Medical content

hgriesmer's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is one of the best books I have ever read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Alcohol

cmbrown4's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

caroline_ds's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

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

2.75

Is it cheesy? Yes. Full of tropes and saccrine, surface-level reflections? Yes. Did I still devour it and cry at the end? Also yes. 

Not my favorite Hannah book by a long shot, but ended a touch more hopeful than most. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and War