Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

8 reviews

coffeekitaab's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Writing this in 2024, it is so strange to have relived Covid-19 through this book. A nostalgia when reading about how life generally, the way we lived it - even if we did not contract the virus itself - and the varying attitudes around the virus around the world, the medical staff who saved us, the loved ones we lost - it was a definite struggle and very difficult to carry on at times (only because of Picoult being a favourite author did I persevere). As always, this one packed a punch. There is a description towards the end, describing life during covid and how it felt everyone was holding their breath - a desperate need for a gasp - which no one released which felt/feels very true in hindsight. I'm not sure if reading this 2-3 years ago would have changed the experience I had today (and in what sense that would be) but in a way, I am glad it has been catalogued by Picoult. It is so easy to forget the time the world shutdown, especially as we are creatures of nature, rushing back to the slog and race of working life, trains now running and borders are now open, the time you spend an hour working overtime is an hour lost spending time with loved ones -  the small print should always be highlighted - remember what matters. My love for JP continues to grow with each book I read. Please do check trigger warnings before picking this up. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Medical content, Dementia, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

_david_'s review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

1.5

I think I'm just not a fan of books in which the covid pandemic plays a big role. Nearly everyone currently alive has lived through it and witnessed its horrors or conspired that it wasn't that bad, but this book will not convince them otherwise. The plot twist was well written, but I still didn't like the story after. If you do not like the first half of the book, you will not enjoy the second.  

To me personally, the main character was very self-centered and spoiled. A big theme in the book is that she "evolved" on the island to fit in better. She barely did though. She just got lucky with some villagers. The only moments I enjoyed was her making art with Belize, but the rest of the book made my eyes roll. 

I think there was still a big clash of what the main character and I find important in life. I would have done the exact opposite of each choise she made in the end, except for perhaps the career choice.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Medical content, Dementia, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Blood, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Infertility, Vomit, War, and Classism

stephmcoakley's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious sad fast-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

abicaro17's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

Diana is a complex and reflective character. Despite doing some choice things throughout the book, her reflection and inner turmoil creates a space to forgive some of her poor decisions. Given that this book basically reflects current and still changing events, it was well written and clearly well researched. It flows with facts and anecdotes from real life experiences. It was a beautiful (if not slightly triggering) book about a fictional person experiencing the trauma of current events. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Chronic illness, Confinement, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Dementia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

mandi4886's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective slow-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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, and Death of parent

Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Homophobia, Infertility, Sexual content, and Vomit

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

Jodi never disappoints. I know this and yet I am always surprised by the amount of research and attention to detail she uses when creating new books. Wish You Were Here is a beautiful and devastating story about life during the time of COVID. It made me feel all the things. It reminded me that even though many of the people in my life have moved on and no longer fear COVID, that there are other people in the world who are just as afraid as I am. Also, the twist in this book — will make you angry. Like, so, so angry. But the book still ends well. It’s worth the pain. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

lpdx's review

adventurous emotional reflective slow-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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Medical content, Dementia, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity

desertmountainreads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I was engrossed in every bit of this novel… my first pandemic book.  About halfway through, I said to myself, “this is too soon.”  However, in typical Jodi Picoult fashion, she took the story to a level above what you’d expect.  The author’s note at the end cemented why Jodi is one of the best there is and why her books always resonate so deeply.  And I understand why this book needed to arrive now.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail