Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover

145 reviews

katiey's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

5.0

This is such a worthwhile read. It took me a bit to get through the first 1/4 of the book, adjusting to the writing and the depth of the things that happen in the novel. It's very dark and difficult to read, especially initially, and I had to take short breaks in reading because of the emotion. The writing is vivid and immerses you in the tension and difficulty of her childhood. It made me reflect upon the value of education and how lucky I am to be a person with access to education. I also really valued the commentary on feminism, the healing process, and family. An incredibly impactful read and brought up a lot of emotion in me. I only didn't rate it 5 stars because it was so emotionally difficult to read throughout, but it is so worth reading.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Violence, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Blood, Car accident, and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal death, Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, and Antisemitism

kinleydoes's review against another edition

emotional inspiring tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cursing, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Medical content, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Genocide, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Colonisation, and War

katlinstirling_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.0

Educated by Tara Westover is a well-written,thought-provoking, fascinating and a powerful memoir. Overcoming and breaking free from her survivalist Mormon family  in order to go to college. This is Tara’s reminder to everything that education extends beyond the walls of the community and encompasses our everyday experiences and to question our ingrained beliefs. Emotional, heartbreaking yet utterly moving and deeply inspiring. I applaud Tara for her honesty and resilience. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexism, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

katharina90's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

4.0

A harrowing memoir about a woman who broke away from an incredibly abusive family to pursue an education.

Difficult to read due to the graphic abuse, neglect and layers of trauma. I'm sure I didn't even capture all of the CWs.

I mostly found it sad and not particularly hopeful which I think just reflects where the author was in her healing journey at the time of writing. 

By the end of the book, the author has managed to separate herself from most of her family and is setting boundaries (which is a huge accomplishment!), but it doesn't seem like she's at peace as she keeps trying to pursue a relationship with her mother who both enabled and participated in the abuse and neglect.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Antisemitism, and Car accident

Minor: Addiction, Cancer, and Colonisation

miggyfool's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

bookangel's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

this book was a wild ride of a time. I expect this book to be about higher education like, for example, a professional advice book, however, I was so wrong. This book was a memoir about a girl who was raised Mormon and did not go to school. I found myself reacting viscerally to what I was listening to. She lived through so much, and I hated that nobody saved her from her saying in abusive family. I kept finding myself wishing she was snap out of the brainwashing because she was on a self-destructive path, which really wasn't her fault. But as she got older, she needed to take ownership of it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Car accident, and Gaslighting

beebowbabe's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative tense fast-paced

5.0

My therapist will hear about this 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal death, Mental illness, Racial slurs, and Violence

Minor: Cancer, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence

krhe's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

2.75

Qué dolor y qué denso de leer. Una mierda de experiencia pero la forma de escribir pues pffff. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

nnennaya_'s review against another edition

challenging dark informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I feel displaced after reading Tara's story. Tara’s story has made me cower with fear, disgust, anger, bewilderment, and disbelief in my own ears and mind, utterly horrified. Thank you for sharing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Dysphoria

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Racial slurs

Minor: Cancer and Antisemitism

ameliesbookshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Mental illness and Car accident

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racial slurs