Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall

21 reviews

tinkeringcheck's review

challenging emotional informative sad slow-paced

3.25

Read for a book club, and I while this book obviously resonates with many readers it just wasn't for me. The prose is well-written but it's quite heavy without much reprieve (mind the content warnings, they're graphic) and I didn't really feel like the main character voices were distinguishable from each other despite some strong side characters. Even when I started to get sucked in, a few last minute twists and left-field character beats shook me out of the story again. I'm looking at you, future Nancy storyline.

I also feel bad saying this, but I'm not a big fan of books that feel like they were written mainly to Educate the Reader instead of tell a story. I might have bounced off because I know too much about the abortion rights movement in Canada already, but I'm glad this book is making that history more accessible.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, and Vomit

Minor: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Panic attacks/disorders

heathere19's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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

Powerful and emotional and informative read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Sexual violence

raisavibes's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring 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? N/A

4.5

If I didn’t read this book, I would have never learnt about the postwar maternity homes and forced adoption mandate. This story will take you on an emotional ride through motherhood and understand the importance of your right to want to be a mother. Every child a wanted child.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Abandonment

Includes a great cause that you could help with!

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Murder

athenabe's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Suicide, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Cancer, Child death, Rape, Self harm, and Blood

shae_reads's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Miscarriage, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Police brutality, and Death of parent

Minor: Racial slurs

katiejohns's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Suicide, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexism, Blood, and Death of parent

Minor: Infidelity and Rape

mdavis26's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

klbreyfogle's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Rape and Grief

cc_shelflove's review

emotional hopeful inspiring 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? No

5.0

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. This is me teaching myself how to breathe again, because I almost forgot. I am simply astounded by what I just read. Looking for Jane is written in a way that makes the reader feel like he or she is a part of something big. Furthermore, to write about true events without conveying the facts like you are writing a research paper is a real skill, and Heather Marshall has mastered it. Inspired by true stories, we follow our main characters through three separate timelines: 1971, 1980, and 2017. There is a ton of foreshadowing in this book, and I STILL did not guess the big giant whopping colossal enormous supercalifragilisticexpialidocious twist at the end. Talk about tears! As mentioned in the author's note, this book is about abortion and the right to choose, but it is also about so much more. I think there is room for a sequel, because something Sister Agatha said to Nancy was not addressed or revisited. I would love to read more. I'm going to go hug my mom now. Wow.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicide, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Child death, Rape, and Grief

Minor: Blood