Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

My Sisters Keeper by Jodi Picoult

34 reviews

slaywithsteph's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

I knew I was gonna cry, and I did, and my heart is broken.

If you liked the movie, you’ll like this, too. The movie cut out a lot about the characters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

Moderate: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Car accident, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Alcoholism

hannah_beth_charles's review against another edition

hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

2.5

I found myself skipping paragraphs because some of the metaphors were so boring and unnecessary that I found it was a waste of time. I also hated Picoult's writing style and the way she made the men's POVs full of vulgar language or shallow thoughts, like "boys will be boys".

I think that Anna's death was Jesse's punishment for starting fires and putting other's lives at risk. It's not fair for him to just be let off without punishment. The ending was quite surprising but and almost lazy. There's no way that Anna would have an unstrained relationship with her parents after she tried to sue them, and Kate's death would be blamed on Anna. Anna needed to die for the story to conclude. Kate becoming a ballet teacher is unrealistic and I know it was her dream, but she hadn't done ballet before, and ballet isn't a sport you can just do. It takes years of training.  

I couldn't care less Campbell and Julia's relationship. They're both toxic and Julia is desperate to be different. Julias losing her virginity on a gravestone was just odd.

I hated that throughout the novel, Sara was trying to be redeemed as a good mother or at least trying her best in a complicated situation. She had Anna just to save Kate. She probably wouldn't have had Anna if Kate wasn't sick. What irked me most was at the end when she said that she would send her one child in a fire to save the other child and she was willing to risk losing them both. That is so selfish because Sara sacrificing their lives. That's not fair and is plain wrong. She is not put in any danger.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Car accident

Moderate: Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Addiction and Alcohol

zoejjj's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.0

Okay obviously I cried like a baby I have three sisters and if I was put in a position like this I have no clue what I would’ve done!! The part where Anna is in the shower and Kate is talking to her, saying I can lose you as a sister but I couldn’t handle losing you as a friend? I was trying to do chores while listening this and was cryinggg!! 

Nobody in this book is hateable. Not even Sara. She is written as an incredibly driven woman who will stop at nothing to save her daughter. Unfortunately her other kids get forgotten in the process but she regrets, she makes it right. “This is her pond but my lily pads”? Shaving her head for Kate? Honestly Jesse got the wayyyy short end of the straw but he also almost killed someone.

The ending is… so so.

I wish Jodi would’ve committed to Kate dying. In the end, Anna’s choice was taken away from her AGAIN. Was the whole lawsuit pointless? Maybe! Sure it’s (possibly) realistic bc life does not care but this book isn’t meant to be realistic like that. The ending is out of left field for the topics this book is dealing with.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual content and Vomit

houimk's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer and Chronic illness

Moderate: Medical trauma and Car accident

Minor: Grief

sarahemhavens's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Begrudgingly and not, I’m giving this five stars. So many things made me violently angry in this book. The mom? Absolutely can’t stand her. She should thank her lucky stars she’s fictional and her name is Sara, no h; because oooooh if I met that lady I’d slap her SILLY. Jodi Picoult, I love you and your writing is phenomenal and incredibly impressive (research skills: 😗🤌), but you’re sick and twisted for this one. And I’m sick and twisted for loving it. Pls just read this book and experience this for yourself. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Medical content, and Medical trauma

tarahuffman's review against another edition

emotional tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer and Medical trauma

emileesbooks's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Drug use, Blood, Abortion, and Alcohol

jenna_justi2004's review

adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful informative sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Wow. I spent the entirety of the book thinking I’d know how it would end because I saw the movie. I was wrong. Like violently wrong in a way that has be concerned for the author.

After all that Anna did, she fucking died randomly. She finally got what she wanted and so did Kate. And then she dies bro I can’t imagine how the judge feels. Ohmygod, what if it was a drunk driver. She was always destined to give her a kidney

. I can’t do this anymore. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

bethanyhacquoil's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Alcoholism

jillgoober's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

I can't say much about my thoughts on this book without spoiling it. Just know that if you've seen the film, you are in for a big surprise ending. I've decided that overall this was a good novel but I (unpopular opinion possibly) much prefer the film ending to the book ending. I was so floored at the absurdity that is the book ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Ableism