Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Caul Baby by Morgan Jerkins

5 reviews

sierranichole's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.5

     I think it could have been written a bit better. Most of the characters could have been developed better, and the novel is too slow paced for me. Amara was written so excellent.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Medical content, Abandonment, Infertility, Medical trauma, and Mental illness

Moderate: Physical abuse, Racism, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity

Minor: Violence, Police brutality, and Racial slurs

emily_koopmann's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage and Medical content

Moderate: Racism

abbie_'s review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

Having liked Jerkins’ previous book, Wandering In Strange Lands, I was excited to try her fictional debut and it did not disappoint! In Caul Baby, she presents us with a blend of motherhood and magic which is completely compelling. I loved that we had perspectives from a big cast of characters (although all narrated by just one narrator - who is good though!), reflecting on topics like gentrification, Black bodies being exploited by white people in medicine, and of course race and class.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

thebakerbookworm's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

3.0

This book was a unique and ambitious story, a bit of magical realism mixed with literary fiction that covers a wide range of themes, from racism to motherhood to gentrification.

I listened to the audiobook and read along with the ebook for parts of it, which I don’t do very often (I rarely have two versions of a book haha), but I did enjoy that experience! The audio is well narrated and the book well written. The story does jump around a lot (sometimes several years between scenes) but there’s nice consistency with most of the characters. I was invested in the plot the whole time too.

The story is told in third person omniscient, which is my least favorite point-of-view style. But there is some nice character development, especially with Amara and Hallow, and I enjoyed both of their journeys.

Thank you to Libro.fm, Harper Audio, and the author for my ALC!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Pregnancy, and Racism

gabtiffin's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Medical content, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Child death and Police brutality