Reviews tagging 'Miscarriage'

Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah

50 reviews

julierambaeck's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

This book. It is between a 4 and a 4.5. I think this was a wonderful depiction of life, of grief, of love and of family and friends.
The characters were very realistic - meaning quite stupid and annoying from time to time.
It is a book that really makes you think about life, how important relationships are, dreams and wants, and how fragile it all is.
The last 30 pages I was sobbing my eyes out... and I definitely think the last 100 or 150 pages were the strongest in the book.
I will be reading the second book, but I need some time to recover from this first...

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Death, Drug use, Terminal illness, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Miscarriage, Rape, and Pregnancy

alukasavitz's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Miscarriage, Rape, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Mental illness

randeerebecca's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Minor: Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and War

isabellamarg's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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

4.0

"They had the music and the memories, and in those, they would always, always be together."

Firefly Lane was a beautiful, relatable, and all too realistic novel about friendship, motherhood, and family. Tully and Kate are two friends who become inseparable in their childhood and the novel follows them through high school, college, jobs, and motherhood.

Seeing female friendship so rawly portrayed was quite lovely. No matter what Kate and Tully stuck it out through their friendship and you knew that they had a deep love for each other (even if they did not say it out loud). 

Kate ends up becoming a stay-at-home mom while Tully solely focuses on her career in news and broadcast journalism. The paths they both take are very different but it is interesting to see how both crave more even with their differences. 

I thought the portrayal of motherhood was gut-wrenching. Kate and her daughter Marah start to have issues once she reaches her teen years, a common issue I would say when your child goes through adolescence. You give everything to your children only for them to disrespect you and not apologize for their actions. Many times though coming out of adolescence and as we grow older we begin to be friends with our parents and the relationship changes. 

"Please God, she prayed, let me get old enough that someday we're friends."

An aspect of the novel that frustrated me was how Tully tried to be a friend to Marah instead of being a friend to Kate. This frustrated me but then again it also made me sad because we know that Tully did not have a good relationship with her mother and so she is seeking from Marah her idolization and respect. Tully as a character, in general, seemed to frustrate me and towards the end of the novel when I had figured out what was going to happen I felt sad for Kate. Luckily though we see Tully finally apologize for her actions (after never actually taking responsibility for her actions or apologizing pretty much her entire life) at the end of the novel which was great character development.

Overall, the last third of this book had me shedding silent tears and thinking deeply about life and how we choose to go about it. Kristin Hannah always seems to tug on my heart strings.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Miscarriage, Rape, Terminal illness, Grief, and War

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

michaelawatkins's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Rape, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Miscarriage and Alcohol

abbiemaines's review against another edition

emotional inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.25

This book was good, I enjoyed the writing, but there were quite a few plot points/character interactions that regularly irritated me so I am only rating this a 3.25. I did cry though so Kristin certainly did her job:)

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Death, Miscarriage, Rape, Toxic relationship, and War

elizabeth_juliet's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny 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? Yes

4.75

One of the saddest books I have read, had me sobbing on the floor, but do read it, I promise it’s worth it.

A beautiful coming of age novel about two friends that couldn’t be more different, and yet mutually thrive when together. Beging when Kate and Tully are in eighth grade and following their lives for over three decades, this book features incredible character development and personal growth.

Desperate to be seen and heard after a childhood of neglect, Tully attempts to fill her life with success and romance, pulling Kate along for the ride. Tully dreams of being on television and becoming a star, while Kate secretly yearns for a quiet life filled with laughter and love. As these friends embark on wildly different life journeys, their friendship is tested many times, through jealousy, betrayals, and secrets, it prevails through all of the hardship. Tully and Kate have been faced with all of the challenges the world can dump on them, and yet get through it together.

Recommend for those who live a good coming of age friendship-centered tale, and a good cry.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

Minor: Alcoholism and Miscarriage

cancer and death play a big role in the plot toward the end of the novel

sarahfeller's review against another edition

emotional funny 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infertility, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol

sabrinas's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Rape, and Abandonment

Moderate: Addiction, Death, and Mental illness

Minor: Miscarriage and Pregnancy

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative sad medium-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

5.0

What a fucking roller coaster ride. I laughed and I wept and did everything in between. Tully & Kate are lovable and detestable at the same time, which is to say they are human. The story arc is so pleasant. The subtle nods to different music was a nice bonus for me as a music lover. The end is devastating, though, so prepare with loads of tissues. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment