Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

The Inland Sea by Madeleine Watts

6 reviews

carlytenille's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical trauma, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

coralcrab77's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

4.25

There were some minor editing issues that I noticed. 
But for a debut novel, I thought it was beautiful and well-written. I saw parts of myself in the narrator. 
I have recently found that I love character-driven stream-of-consciousness writing, but I know it's not for everyone.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Alcoholism, Medical trauma, and Abortion

Minor: Domestic abuse

jackelz's review

challenging reflective tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

There is a lot of unpack here. I checked this one out from the library to satisfy a ‘climate change’ prompt, but this book is so much more than that. 

I found the writing style very unique. The narrator is never named, and most of the people she interacted with had fictional names. There are tidbits about John Oxley (her ancestor), and his exploration of the Lachlan river to find an Inland Sea, randomly throughout the book. 

The protagonist indulges in blackout drinking, unprotected sex, and hazardous hook ups with an ex. She works at Australia’s Triple Zero dispatch center answering phones, “Emergency police, fire, or ambulance.” I felt the helplessness she felt when she couldn’t connect the caller fast enough. We come to learn her thoughts and fears surrounding climate change, which are parallel to her habits of self destruction. 

This book made me uncomfortable at times, but it will be one that sticks with me for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, and Abortion

Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Blood

erinmargaretmary's review

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

jouljet's review

dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical trauma, and Abortion

jameslyons's review against another edition

emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Blood

Minor: Drug use and Rape