Reviews tagging Medical content

Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng

11 reviews

fionnlister's review

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Infertility, and Medical content

Minor: Miscarriage

georgiesutton's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

This was the perfect antidote to having just read a stressful book. It was pacy and juice and intriguing and I was rooting for characters and genuinely cared for some and not others. Excellent and riveting. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Pregnancy, and Racism

Minor: Sexual content, Medical content, Miscarriage, Fire/Fire injury, and Infertility

ashleycmms's review

adventurous medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Car accident, Child death, Miscarriage, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Infertility, Medical content, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Xenophobia

Minor: Vomit and Sexual content

bethcarmo21's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional lighthearted reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Car accident, Death, Infertility, Medical content, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

julesloyola's review

emotional reflective 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Infertility, Miscarriage, Medical content, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Sexism, Racism, Misogyny, Car accident, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief

cyn2hia's review against another edition

emotional informative mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Racism, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Infertility

Minor: Vomit, Medical content, and Misogyny

darkmattersoybean's review

challenging emotional reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Abortion, Death, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Racism

theskyboi's review

emotional mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

Having read this novel after watching the limited series based on Little Fires Everywhere, I can confidently say that this is a much subtler and richer text than its TV adaptation turned out to be. The book deals heavily in the concept of creating a utopia, so it narrates objectively and allows the reader to decide what has and hasn't worked. For starters, there isn't anything inherently wrong with wanting to create an intentional community, but what has become of Shaker Heights is the product of an intersectional struggle between different strata of race and class. Conversely, the show doesn't have narration; it has Elena Richardson—portrayed by Reese Witherspoon—who just has a knack for playing it a little obtusely when it comes to explaining how she, as a white woman, just wants the best out of life. The show doesn't let you decide where the fog dissipates to reveal a line drawn in the sand; it dries up the fog for you in the dialogue.

As far as the book itself, I'd be doing it a disservice to not speak about the author's voice. Celeste Ng's conversational and casual tone gives readers the best combination of stream-of-consciousness and narrative story structures, blending to create a book much more concerned with universal feelings than minute details. At times, this style does prove somewhat distracting, and it tends to drift more toward the informal side of things, especially in scenes between the Richardson children and Pearl.

For a book about family and identity, the plot arranges all the characters on a playing field where each of their motivations and fears all mix in murky waters, almost dissolving any fixed boundaries between them. No one fully wants to take this first step toward bridging opposing sides because all the characters are busy trying to identify their personal desires before considering those around them. At its core, this novel is about how our family relationships can be much more fragile than we ever thought possible, and it sets this realization against the backdrop of a glimmering suburban utopia in need of serious remodeling.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Infertility, Medical content, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Addiction, Misogyny, Racism, and Xenophobia

Minor: Death of parent

anne311's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

5.0

"Um ehrlich zu sein, ich weiß es nicht. Aber sie wird es überleben. Manchmal denkt man, es geht nicht mehr weiter, und findet doch einen Weg." Mia suchte nach einer passenden Erklärung. "Es ist wie nach einem Präriefeuer. Vor einigen Jahren, als wir in Nebraska waren, hab ich mal eins gesehen. Man meint, das Ende der Welt zu sehen. Die Erde ist völlig versengt und schwarz, alles Grün ist verschwunden. Aber nach dem Brand ist der Boden fruchtbarer, und Neues kann wachsen."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Grief, Infertility, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, and Sexual content

Minor: Rape and Alcoholism

vmac's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, and Racism