Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

The Women by Kristin Hannah

183 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

kat_rowlen's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny inspiring sad tense fast-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

3.0

3 Stars

I liked how this book highlighted the Vietnam War because I feel like World War II is usually highlighted. I also love that this book called out the double standards between men’s heroics and women’s heroism. But I feel like Frankie didn’t develop as a character until the last 60 pages. I also didn’t like how every man she came in contact with seemed to fall instantly in love with her. It was unrealistic and took me out of the story. I also wish the book would’ve developed the plot around her evolving nursing skills more. Other than that, this was an interesting and engaging book that highlighted topics that usually aren’t discussed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

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

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

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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. 

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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.

kathrynshields's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative 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? No

4.5

The Women is a beautifully written blend of storytelling and history exploring the bravery and heroism of the forgotten women who served in the Vietnam War. It was more episodic than expected but I really grew to love the characters. 

How do all these men keep rising from the dead?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

Minor: Infertility, Racism, Torture, Police brutality, Car accident, and Alcohol

Largely takes place in hospitals place during the Vietnam War and covers the years following the end of the 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

eaf14b's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy

ogwegs's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Miscarriage, Sexism, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and War

what_is_emma_reading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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: Child death, Death, Gore, Violence, and War

Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy