Reviews tagging 'Abortion'

The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

60 reviews

rieviolet's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad 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? No

4.0

Despite its difficult subject matter, The Mountains Sing is a book that I didn't want to put down. You are compelled to keep reading to find out what happened in the past and what fate will befall the characters that you've grown attached to. 

I really appreciated how the author explored war and its aftermath, both at a wider and at a more personal level (through the story of the Trần family). I think it did well in depicting all the contradictions and nuances in a country's history.   
My only minor complaint in terms of the plot is the big revelation in the final chapters; I found it a little bit melodramatic and fortuitous.

I wasn't completely captured by the writing style but, here and there, there were some touching moments elevated by the prose.

Overall, this is a gripping and powerful book that I would encourage everyone to pick up.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Blood, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation

Minor: Ableism, Cancer, Child death, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Excrement, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

lycheeteareads'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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Rape, and Abortion

Minor: Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

j9wan's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

4.75

A touching tale. I knew factually about Vietnamese history beforehand but it's so different when recounted as such. Beautiful, heartbreaking, a great book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and War

Moderate: Medical trauma

Minor: Alcoholism, Rape, and Abortion

brogan7's review against another edition

adventurous challenging informative medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Abortion

isleofwoman's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring relaxing 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Grief, Murder, and War

Moderate: Miscarriage, Rape, and Abortion

anna_pizzichidilibri's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Rape, and Abortion

bessadams's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Excrement, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Classism

Minor: Rape and Suicidal thoughts

pamusialak's review against another edition

emotional informative 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: Alcoholism, Rape, Violence, Abortion, Sexual harassment, and War

b_harrington's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad slow-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

Loved it. So sad, so emotional, but it was also beautifully written and still hopeful/ uplifting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Genocide, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Colonisation, and War

sas_lk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad

• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

I don't have much to say, other than I just really liked this book. The author kept me hooked from start to finish, even though it was a historical fiction - which are usually quite dense, which means that i regularly need breaks. However, it was so easy to keep reading, and I felt truly "transported" - the same way Huong was transported to Laura's world. 
Painful, heartbreaking, but so inspiring and hopeful in the end. A novel about the horrors, and the truest beauties of life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, and War

Moderate: Miscarriage and Abortion

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Confinement, Rape, Suicide, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail