Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano

24 reviews

applesaucecreachur's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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

4.25

Over the last few days, while reading this book, I found myself in a daze any time I was alone. (The fact that I listened to the entire story over a few hours-long sittings likely has no bearing on this.) Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano had a striking way of showing me myself and my beloveds within its pages. In this way, the story fit like a lens over my frontal lobe: I saw its words walking down the street and trailing through my journal. The range of years and human emotions was exhausting in its beauty. The span of decades and personalities felt both breakneck in its pace and loving in its attention to detail. Hearing the story from multiple distinct POVs was not only enjoyable but also immensely clever. While the timeline remained more or less linear, Napolitano bends the arrow to allow for multiple perspectives on the same events, and to station the reader in different minds in the same instant.

The most breathtaking example of this was the day of Sylvie's death, where we first watch Alice waiting uncomfortably at her father's work before learning in the next chapter that he has just fallen headlong into grief.

With emotions swirling inside of me, I have only so many intelligible thoughts on this book.  I will end this review off with a lasting lesson: Love, like the people with whom we share it, is imperfect and essential.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Homophobia, Medical content, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Child death

bellsdixon's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Abandonment

Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, and Pregnancy

geoalice23's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

I loved and hated each character simultaneously in ways you only can about family 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, and Classism

hjb_128's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

shae_reads'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? Yes

4.0

Julia sucks a lot. I love Charlie and I see myself in William. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cancer, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Pregnancy

vanessatombolini's review

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia

Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Abandonment, and Classism

Minor: Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, Medical content, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War

peachy_gene's review against another edition

reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Drug abuse, Infertility, and Sexual content

readingwithmeredith's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

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

3.25

Characters: 3

Connection to the book/Enjoyment: 2

Setting: 2

Plot/Overall Story: 2

Writing: 4

Every point= 0.25 stars, max per category 4 points

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent

Side character gay

abicaro17's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

Oh lord. How do I describe this book? When I read it was like a Little Women retelling I was a tad scared because I didn't know what to expect. Let me tell you to expect to laugh, cry, and smile at this beautiful book. I was skeptical about the first few chapters but then Napolitano throws you a curve ball and ramps the pace right up! The characters are complex and beautifully developed, the story manages to be funny, sad, and reflective of family and love all at the same time. The end is beautiful and unexpected (I cried for like 80 pages no joke!) but perfectly closes out the book and all loose ends. I wish I could read this again for the first time because i'd appreciate it more! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail