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bookscatcoffee's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death and Genocide
Minor: Cancer and Infertility
mbrogs2024's review
- 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
4.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Vomit, Car accident, Murder, and Pregnancy
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
eftucker11's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
On top of that, her descriptions of the different settings from the Mekong Delta and Central Highlands of Vietnam, to the sunny coasts of southern California, are all formulaic. They offer paper-thin window dressing that is quickly tossed aside as we race from plot point to plot point.
The focus on romantic subplots also distracts the central plot and muddles its messaging. While it's understandable that a young woman, away from home for the first time and surrounded by young men, would feel attracted to some of them, the emphasis the story places on it drags attention away from the suffering of the Vietnamese people, and the American servicemen and women. The final pages of the story completely encapsulate what I'm talking about, but I won't specify why to avoid spoilers. Suffice to say, our main character's romantic troubles persist throughout the book, and wax and wane between being central to the story and off in the periphery, despite the fact that this book is meant to be a story about experiencing and recovering from the horrors of war. It reads like a cheap addition meant to tittilate the reader, but serves little purpose aside from, once again, traumatizing the main character.
Also, the depiction of the main chracter as a victim of war trauma is riddled with clichés that would have been more tolerable were they not repeated so many times. After the third or fourth time the main character recounts a terrifying war story to a horrified listener, again, the event loses its impact.
The story shines best when Hannah writes about the sisterhood of the nurses, coming together to support each other during and after the war. Of course, a huge segment of their time gets skipped over so the main character can go back to enduring hardships. The excessive focus on the traumas the character suffers ultimately overrides their purpose, making the reader turn away out lf exhaustion instead of sympathizing.
It was a quick read which I'm unlikely to repeat, and I wouldn't recommend it to others.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
trumpetlion909's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Violence, Medical trauma, and War
Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Blood, and Grief
Minor: Forced institutionalization
smunderwood38's review
- 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
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical trauma, War, and Injury/Injury detail
faithemt's review
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, and Alcohol
madzy_9510's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Addiction and War
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Infidelity
kwthor's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, and Sexual content
amanda_reads13's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Kristen Hannah manages to capture the spirit of an entire generation in this novel. This is a beautifully written story filled with devastating truths and complex characters. I love how Hannah managed honour these forgotten women while still unveiling the horrible truth of the war.
Vietnam war vets experienced things that no others before them had. They were shunned when they returned home, especially the women. Coupled with the lack understanding of mental health and PTSD, this lead to an epidemic depression drug/alcoholism, and suicide amongst the vets.
This book was a rollercoaster of emotions. There are part of this book that will make you so mad - the unethical war tactics, the white saviour complex, and the horrific treatment of the veterans, especially the women. There are parts that will make you cry - the loss of so many lives, the struggles Frankie goes through to be seen, heard, and healed, and the betrayals. There are parts that will fill your heart - the beautiful friendships, women supporting women, and that ending.
The characters in this book are strong, yet flawed. In the end, Frankie has grown and evolved to the point where she is almost unrecognizable from the woman she was at the start of the book. She grows from a woman who endured so much pain and heartache that she wants to take her own life to a woman who is able to use that pain to help and save other women.
The friendships in this book are so beautifully written. These three women from such different backgrounds and worlds are thrown together in in the midst of war. Their bond is unbreakable. They see each other through every step in life and show up for each other.
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and War
jessailene's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Growing up post-Vietnam War, I didn’t have a full understanding of the complexities surrounding that time. This book was an eye-opener, shedding light on the emotional and psychological scars left behind. Many people, especially those who have relatives that served in the war, seldom speak of it, and this story helped me understand why.
There are so many layers to The Women. The fictional characters are brilliantly crafted, and the storyline is deeply immersive. I’ve never read a book that so vividly captures the true chaos of war while showing the impossible task of trying to maintain control in a medical setting under fire. The balance between romance, sorrow, excitement, stress, and sadness is masterfully done. It evokes such strong emotions—especially if you’re an empathetic person, you’ll feel like you’ve been through the emotional wringer.
If you’re looking for a powerful, multi-layered narrative that not only entertains but also educates and challenges your perspective, The Women is a must-read.
Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail