Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal

27 reviews

lo_ferrara's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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

3.0

Unexpectedly sad and a bit too long. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

hdunscombe's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Outing, and Alcohol

Moderate: Alcoholism, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal death, Cancer, Infidelity, and Car accident

lizfritsch's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Cancer

erindorrien's review

slow-paced

2.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer

baileyes's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

A beautiful multigenerational sorry that weaves the fabric of a family over the last 100 years

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death and Terminal illness

Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, Racism, and Abandonment

jo_22's review

emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Awesome book- I loved the Minnesota setting and that it was centered around the supper club. Did a great job shifting character perspectives and time periods and it was really wholesome. Themes/focus areas of family & generations, small town culture, hardship & hope. I do wish there was a bit more parts tying some plot points together (ex.

Have Ned reflect on Mariel’s death or convo of Ned talking to Julia about Gus. More of Florence and Mariel after they reconcile, etc

) however @ the same time I do think there was strength and effectiveness in not focusing so much on the dynamics between characters after plot points occur and more focused on how each character deals with / lives their life with the weight/gifts/hopes of past generations. Plus it aligns well with the Midwestern/Minnesotan way of “things we don’t talk about”. 
I loved the last page— and overall the book made me reflect on and appreciate my family & generations before me. 
Really well-written.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Infertility, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Cancer, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Homophobia, Infidelity, Alcohol, and Classism

purplepenning's review

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Child death, Death, Homophobia, Infertility, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Blood, Car accident, and Death of parent

vanessagrausam's review against another edition

lighthearted relaxing 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: Child death, Infertility, and Death of parent

Minor: Cancer

karolinez's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Infertility, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, and Death of parent

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I really enjoyed this book, and I was impressed at how the author could so intimately describe the characters' emotions. It was also a really complex look at the characters, which made them feel really human. People are extremely imperfect and make mistakes that hurt people, but we can't easily put them into boxes that are as simple as "good" and "bad." Will definitely read this author again. He had some really good turns of phrase.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Car accident, Death of parent, and Outing