Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

50 reviews

amcaslow's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, and War

Minor: Domestic abuse

yayathegreat38's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• 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? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Gun violence, Misogyny, Slavery, Religious bigotry, War, and Injury/Injury detail

epen's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

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

Wow I loved this book, I can’t remember the last time I ripped through one so quickly. I just could not put it down. The characters were interesting and developed beautifully, the setting was intense and claustrophobic and immersive, the story was gripping and heartbreaking and beautiful. I just loved it and I want to read everything Emma Donoghue has ever written!!  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, and War

midwesternviolet's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

a_mckeever's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and War

Minor: Gun violence and Fire/Fire injury

booksandteatime's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicide, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Physical abuse

brdgtc's review against another edition

emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

kimia_hyperfocuser's review against another edition

dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Emma Donoghue wrecked me yet again. The way I begged her to not show those nasty birthing procedures on page... Thank fuck she didn't.
She doesn't have any clever tricks, just simple prose and powerful characters. And in the afterword she tells you how the story is based on real events and people.
Her depiction of the profession of nursing is so charming. Both in this and in The Wonder her nurse characters are competent, discip ined, and endlessly compassionate. I admire them so much.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content and Medical trauma

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Domestic abuse and Rape

writingcaia's review against another edition

emotional informative sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Beautiful, beautiful. Took me way too long to get to this one. What a shame. And, what a shame that in the beginning I wasn’t feeling it would be such a heartbreaking, heartwarming, informative and beautiful book.
A maternity nurse sees herself in a position of more power managing a ward for pregnant women suspected of having the grippe — what they initially called the Spanish Influenza.
The whole story takes place in 3 days but however slow and dark the start much happens after, and in a way showcases a lot of the spirit and morale of Dublin in 1918 with the WWI and the division between the Irish that supported the King and Country, and those who did not, who felt they should care for their own and not be taken as cattle to a war they had no part in. There are also the losses, people dying in the streets, families being found all dead at home — a disease that was unseen and affected mostly the poor who shared small quarters and were forced to work to feed their numerous families. Last, the cruelty of the church is in much focus as well. The indentured children and young women, the abuse and cruelty, the disregard for life, the false morality.
And, of course, our nurse! Oh, what a character! What surprises she unveils about herself. What insight in her caring for her muted-by-shell-shock in the war brother, in her relationship with an orphan, kin to learn, bright and older than her years girl that comes to help the ward, and with the orderlies and the female doctor (a real life personality), a rebel and a progressive.
Also, pregnancy! The horror and the miracle. Death, a curse and a final rest. 
What a book!
Don’t hesitate if you like historical novels with focus on character.


‼️And, with the added - SPOILER ALERT ‼️ 

LGBTQIA+ representation

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, and Medical content

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Domestic abuse

LGBTQIA+ representation

swhitzel's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated

2.5

 I have so many thoughts, all of them conflicting.

Generally, this was a beautiful story, but it also seemed quite abrupt (in its ending) and felt as though it had little resolution. Based on the synopsis, I expected more of a relationship to develop between the three main women, and yet the connections felt superficial and forced. They go nowhere, but they also had so much potential!

Also, the depictions of birth and the medical situations were quite graphic. I often found myself sick to my stomach at some of the descriptions, especially early on.

Now that I'm writing this, I think I enjoyed the potential of this story more than the actual story itself. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Death of parent, War, and Classism

Minor: Suicide and Suicide attempt