Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Red, White, and Whole by Rajani LaRocca

10 reviews

rhiannon_hall_reads's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

I read this verse novel in one sitting. I love that the plot isn't predictable and the story feels authentic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Medical content, and Death of parent

Moderate: Racism and Blood

Minor: Racism

alainajreads's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

This was a beautifully written and touching middle-grade novel in verse about 13-year-old Reha who feels torn between her parents’ expectations and her own wants until a tragic diagnosis turns her family’s life upside down. The exploration of Reha’s complex relationship with her parents adds depth as she processes her mother’s diagnosis, and through her friendships and a budding romance, she finds her inner strength. I found the 80s pop culture references a little shoehorned in and at times the pacing felt too quick and I would’ve liked more of Reha’s thought processes but overall it was a bittersweet brief read that makes heavy topics accessible to its young audience.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Medical content

mattyb's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Blood, and Death of parent

Moderate: Medical content, Grief, and Medical trauma

Minor: Medical content

amberinpieces's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Grief

Minor: Death, Blood, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

kayladaila's review against another edition

emotional sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Infertility and Blood

Minor: Bullying, Racism, Xenophobia, and Pregnancy

atamano's review

emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Racism, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Blood and Medical content

puttingwingsonwords's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Blood, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent

readalongwithnat's review against another edition

emotional fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

This book really packs a punch for being a middle grade novel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer and Medical content

Moderate: Death of parent

mezzarella's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Red, White, and Whole written by Rjani LaRocca is a heart-breaking story written in lyric. This story is about Reha, an Indian-American student with immigrant parents, and her struggle to feel as though she belongs with the world around her. When her mother gets sick, Reha struggles to balance her life at home with her life at school.

The setting of this book is the United States in the 1980s, switching occasionally from Reha's past and present day. While there are plenty of music and MTV references, there also references to Indian mythology and other aspects of Reha's culture. The way the the book seamlessly travels between both aspects of Reha's identity builds a deep understanding of Reha's struggle to fit in for the reader. It is clear that she recognizes her family is different than her classmates' in a deeper way than the fact she is the only brown student at her school. 

Red, White, and Whole is an Own Voices novel written by an Indian-American author. It is evident the care LaRocca puts in her stories to create meaningful representation in the middle grade fiction genre. I enjoyed learning about Reha's culture: from the food she ate, the stories she was told, and how she celebrated Westernized holidays. This book is a must for any bookshelf or classroom library. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Blood, Medical content, and Grief

Minor: Gore

Reha's mother grows sick with cancer and must spend time at the hospital. A doctor there tries to treat her with blood transplants and chemotherapy. Medical processes are detailed by the doctor or Reha in the book. Connections are made to science curricula such as cell processes also. Eventually, Reha's mother passes away. Reha and her family grieves their loss towards the end of the book. Other mentions of blood include when Reha scrapes her knee, and the injury is compared to meat at the grocery store.

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literarymarvel's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

A heart tugging novel in verse about living between two worlds while dealing with a major life trauma - set in 1983

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Blood, Medical content, and Grief