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Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore
156 reviews
avibrantmind's review against another edition
dark
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
The lessons and story are worth a 5, and will haunt me for a long time. But the writing is what made me less likely to recommend this book. I understand the author wants us to connect with the real people this book is centred around, but it was filled with commentary on looks and strange details that seemed to be a forced and strained attempt at this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Chronic illness and Terminal illness
ms_sarah621's review against another edition
emotional
informative
medium-paced
5.0
Absolutely amazing book. Such a powerful and interesting story. I highly recommend this book and have nothing bad to say about it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
sarahlaney7's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.25
This is a really great book to read as an audiobook. It started out a bit slow, but the author really covers all of the details necessary to make you feel like maybe you knew the radium girls personally. It is beautifully written, and the hope and gumption these girls possessed is truly inspiring.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Terminal illness
trapdorr's review against another edition
dark
informative
medium-paced
4.0
Well paced but a bit too long in my opinion. Court cases could’ve been sped up. I appreciate the look into the girls lives vs just facts.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Terminal illness
boomwormbrittany's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
5.0
The Radium Girls follows the absolutely unbelievable story of the girls who were poisoned by the companies they worked for and their fight for justice.
This book is an absolutely heartbreaking and inspiring story about a group of women's fight to try to hold companies accountable for the poisoning that they suffered due to the companies lying to them about the harmful effects of radium. This book was an absolutely heartbreaking and wild ride to read.
Watching these women having to not only suffer to find a diagnosis and be misdiagnosed was already heartbreaking. But also watching them having to fight tooth and nail to just be able to get any sort of compensation and help from the companies was absolutely rage inducing. The way these companies lied about these women and their conditions and what they were suffering while they were sitting there, in pain and dying, was absolutely mind blowing.
This book is such an important book to read because it's not just about the women's pain. It's about their resilience and how they worked together despite the odds to try to do right by others who would suffer like them.
I think this is a very important book to read and it should be read by everyone. The way Kate Moore handled this was so deft and well done. She showed so much respect and care for these women and their stories. I teared up in her descriptions and she showed their courage so well. I cannot recommend this book enough.
This book is an absolutely heartbreaking and inspiring story about a group of women's fight to try to hold companies accountable for the poisoning that they suffered due to the companies lying to them about the harmful effects of radium. This book was an absolutely heartbreaking and wild ride to read.
Watching these women having to not only suffer to find a diagnosis and be misdiagnosed was already heartbreaking. But also watching them having to fight tooth and nail to just be able to get any sort of compensation and help from the companies was absolutely rage inducing. The way these companies lied about these women and their conditions and what they were suffering while they were sitting there, in pain and dying, was absolutely mind blowing.
This book is such an important book to read because it's not just about the women's pain. It's about their resilience and how they worked together despite the odds to try to do right by others who would suffer like them.
I think this is a very important book to read and it should be read by everyone. The way Kate Moore handled this was so deft and well done. She showed so much respect and care for these women and their stories. I teared up in her descriptions and she showed their courage so well. I cannot recommend this book enough.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Misogyny
Minor: Miscarriage
kafarm6's review against another edition
challenging
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
3.5
It was just so gross 🫠
But I do love learning how a) all arguments we hear today are old af b) every bad event in history ever has had at least one person saying “this is bad you should stop”
But I do love learning how a) all arguments we hear today are old af b) every bad event in history ever has had at least one person saying “this is bad you should stop”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Misogyny, Terminal illness, and Injury/Injury detail
reg_litbytes's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
3.5
TLDR: An emotional take on true historical events focusing on the humanity of the victims while still being informative. Leans a bit into the fictional. Went on a little too long and felt repetitive. I zoned out a few times.
TRIGGER WARNING: Graphic descriptions of disease
THE GOOD: I truly appreciate what the author is doing in this book - focusing on giving life to the women who suffered. The stories were laid out in a way that I felt how the suffering of each were all interconnected. I could feel the hopefulness, the grief, the helplessness, and the triumph of each victim that were given the spotlight. Lives and futures were ruined and I found myself getting mad and frustrated along with the victims. I wish I could look at pictures of each of them as they were being described - before and after the exposure. The goal of the author was to humanize the victims in contrast to how the other books covering the same topic has done - more scientific. So do take note that if you intend on reading this, it can often lean into the fictional. It does this by filling in some details that the author is unlikely to have known (ex. what the victims have been thinking and feeling apart from what they themselves have written).
THE BAD:
It went on too long that I found myself, at times, zoning out. The epilogue was proof enough that this didn't have to be as long as it is. Or maybe… it was meant more to be read on print than on audiobook? It got repetitive but understandably so because the victims all went through, more or less, the same horrors. Unfortunately, halfway through, I just couldn't wait to find out how they were able to resolve the issues and the impact on society (which the epilogue was able to cover).
THE NARRATION:
The narration was mostly fine but not something I would remember in the long term. I didn't feel comfortable speeding it up to more than 1.5x; but then again I don't usually speed up audiobooks.
TRIGGER WARNING: Graphic descriptions of disease
THE GOOD: I truly appreciate what the author is doing in this book - focusing on giving life to the women who suffered. The stories were laid out in a way that I felt how the suffering of each were all interconnected. I could feel the hopefulness, the grief, the helplessness, and the triumph of each victim that were given the spotlight. Lives and futures were ruined and I found myself getting mad and frustrated along with the victims. I wish I could look at pictures of each of them as they were being described - before and after the exposure. The goal of the author was to humanize the victims in contrast to how the other books covering the same topic has done - more scientific. So do take note that if you intend on reading this, it can often lean into the fictional. It does this by filling in some details that the author is unlikely to have known (ex. what the victims have been thinking and feeling apart from what they themselves have written).
THE BAD:
It went on too long that I found myself, at times, zoning out. The epilogue was proof enough that this didn't have to be as long as it is. Or maybe… it was meant more to be read on print than on audiobook? It got repetitive but understandably so because the victims all went through, more or less, the same horrors. Unfortunately, halfway through, I just couldn't wait to find out how they were able to resolve the issues and the impact on society (which the epilogue was able to cover).
THE NARRATION:
The narration was mostly fine but not something I would remember in the long term. I didn't feel comfortable speeding it up to more than 1.5x; but then again I don't usually speed up audiobooks.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, and Grief
smcaput2's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Infertility and Grief
craftyheather's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
1.25
"The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women" by Kate Moore delves into the tragic history of young women who were poisoned by radium in dial factories. Unfortunately, the book does not do this fascinating topic justice. Moore’s decision to profile a large number of women results in a narrative that feels like a series of character synopses rather than a cohesive story. This makes it difficult to connect deeply with any one individual, reducing the emotional impact.
Additionally, the writing style is peculiar. While the book is nonfiction, Moore attempts to infuse it with a novelistic tone. This blend of factual recounting with a narrative style more suited to fiction creates a disjointed reading experience, as it often feels like the book is straddling two genres without committing fully to either.
The portrayal of the women in the book also leans heavily towards a positive and hopeful depiction, which may seem unrealistic given the severity of their circumstances. The absence of anger and frustration among the women can leave the narrative feeling incomplete and somewhat sanitized. This lack of emotional diversity reduces the depth and authenticity of their stories, creating a less impactful and somewhat skewed understanding of their experiences.
Additionally, the writing style is peculiar. While the book is nonfiction, Moore attempts to infuse it with a novelistic tone. This blend of factual recounting with a narrative style more suited to fiction creates a disjointed reading experience, as it often feels like the book is straddling two genres without committing fully to either.
The portrayal of the women in the book also leans heavily towards a positive and hopeful depiction, which may seem unrealistic given the severity of their circumstances. The absence of anger and frustration among the women can leave the narrative feeling incomplete and somewhat sanitized. This lack of emotional diversity reduces the depth and authenticity of their stories, creating a less impactful and somewhat skewed understanding of their experiences.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Terminal illness, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail
leligavi's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
4.25
This was my first nonfiction I've read of my own accord. Not for school or required reading, just because I wanted to know the story. I'm so grateful I read it. The impact that these women, lawyers, and doctors all contributed to this world is just amazing. Their tenacity is admirable and above all, I could just see the Lord bringing justice to these girls and giving them the strength to continue on. He led them to people that fought for them and for the truth and that is just so powerful. What wonderful faith and strength these girls exhibited and I hope to be just a fraction of what they were. Such a powerful read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail