Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Viúva de Ferro by Xiran Jay Zhao

90 reviews

bluejayjazz's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail

angelfireeast24's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

 A disabled queer feminist hero who took no shit and served endless power despite deep discrimination and injustice told within a sci-fi world of robots vs aliens. 5 stars Highly recommend reading 

It is an epic story of a world shaped by discrimination and sexism. A woman dares to change the world by refusing the horrible role society has assigned her. The world seems like one thing and quickly stands out as something altogether different. Nothing is as it appears. I was rooted in the story of Wu Zetian even as I sometimes had to look away and take a break from all the angst. Wu Zetian never stops fighting patriarchy and injustice. As the story develops, so do Wu Zetian's views on feminism and the characters around her. It goes hand in hand as her worldview changes throughout the book. I was supposed to be shocked and perhaps conflicted about a few things that happened by finding I was 100% behind our heroes. Near the end, twist after twist leaves me desperate for more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Alcohol

madmantha's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense 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

4.5

What a great book!! I cannot wait for the sequel! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Police brutality, Trafficking, Grief, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia

hearkenheretic's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Medical trauma, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Body shaming, Genocide, Homophobia, Murder, and Alcohol

Minor: Death of parent

tekoppstok's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Violence, Medical trauma, and Murder

Moderate: Chronic illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and War

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Death of parent

The content warnings make the story seem like a downer. It very easily could have been a very depressing book. Instead, the passionate rage and desperation of the main character buoys the narrative into something much more fierce and addictive than doom and gloom, even at the very darkest moments. It's fight or flight the whole way through, with heavy emphasis on fight.

matturay's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-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

5.0

I don't usually read sci-fi, but this book grabbed me by the throat and wouldn't let go.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

caramia's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense 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

5.0

Holy crap this book just takes off right from the get go! The visceral depictions of bound feet made me feel so uncomfortable, just like I know it’s meant to. The descriptions about Chrysalis were so beautiful, I’m not into yugioh but maybe I should be. The love between them all is just so powerful.

I did call it that they were the terraformers! I also called it that they were humans in the ‘heavenly above’ it sounded like a human ship from another world way too much, especially since they never showed themselves.

I just want my babies to be happy, so hopefully Xiran doesn’t hurt them too much in the next one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Chronic illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical content, and Medical trauma

justmys's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

2.75

I enjoyed the world the story took place in. The premise and intrigue but I wish there had been more of it.
Everything happens so fast and so easily (???) that it just felt...like watching a movie adaptation of a novel?
I didn't like the main character. I wanted to.

But every time she opened her mouth I cringed at her. She was not the cold genius she I thought she was. She was manipulated and easily played and only accomplished what she did because of the men around her. She never did anything herself.

If there's another book set in the same world I'll read it. It's an easy read and a decent idea for a story. I just hope we get to delve further in and read a novel instead of watching the YA movie version.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and War

Moderate: Death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

magnan1mouse's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Alcohol, and War

Moderate: Slavery, Torture, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death, Genocide, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical trauma

analenegrace's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.0

I went into this with high hopes because of the hype it's gotten, and perhaps that's why I didn't like it as much as I hoped I would. 

It felt like too much telling and not showing, and almost all of the characters felt one-dimensional, including our narrator, whose inner dialogue was at times confusing and was expressing a type of feminism that is incredibly one-dimensional. 

The "plot twist" at the end felt obvious to me as I've seen it in many other novels of this type, but I am interested in reading the sequel to see how the author ends the story they've created here. 

I appreciated the polyam relationship and am also looking forward to seeing what the author does with their relationship in the second book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism