Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, by Suzanne Collins

20 reviews

smasson13's review

challenging emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.5

This book was a wild ride. While I still prefer the original series, this novel was full of twists! 

At first I was confused as why it didn't end after act 2, and the start of act 3 felt like it was dragging on but not leading anywhere...but the end threw me. I think Suzanne Collins does a lovely jobs of trying to convince you of some sort of compassion in Coriolanus while he is struggling in the Capitol. Yet, by act 3, my hatred was renewed.

I would love to read more about the development of the early Hunger Games, I thought this was a really interesting perspective to take for a prequel novel. 

As well, I know critics seemed not to enjoy the folk songs throughout the book, but I think they lend nicely to the story telling as well as the history of the area of the USA that District 12 apparently occupies. 

Overall, it was a huge novel to get through, but never felt like a struggle. The tension and anticipation was high throughout, though at times frustrating. Definitely recommend it for those who have read the original series, it did not take away from what has already been created. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Murder, Death, Injury/injury detail, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, War, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, and Animal death

Minor: Confinement, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Gun violence, and Death of parent

studydniowka's review

adventurous challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Bardzo dobra młodzieżowa (i nie tylko) dystopia.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Deportation, Grief, Medical trauma, Torture, Toxic relationship, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Sexism, Slavery, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Colonisation, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Murder, War, Xenophobia, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, and Violence

tahsintries's review

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Murder, and Child death

Moderate: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Genocide, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Violence, Blood, Confinement, Drug use, Medical content, and Torture

emsprobablyreading's review

challenging dark 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

5.0

I love love love this book. A wonderful prequel to the dystopian series that defined my adolescence. Suzanne Collins has done an excellent job of giving her readers a look at how the Hunger Games from Katniss' time came to be as well as a trip inside the mind of her greatest adversary, President Snow. The callbacks to the original series are wonderfully crafted, and I especially love how Lucy Gray is both her own character and written is such a way to set up Katniss as the perfect ghost of Snow's past, come to make him pay for his sins. I could write an essay on the implications of this book, but instead I leave you with this: if what you enjoyed about the Hunger Games trilogy was the commentary on war, power, control, privilege, rebellion, and what it means to love one another, then read this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, War, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/injury detail, Murder, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Slavery, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Suicide, Addiction, Alcohol, Confinement, Medical content, Alcoholism, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Confinement and Vomit

ajdolina's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, Violence, Child abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Death of parent, Medical trauma, Drug use, War, and Cannibalism

sophie42's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, War, Violence, Gun violence, Death, Child death, Death of parent, Child abuse, Injury/injury detail, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Alcohol, Vomit, Trafficking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, Medical trauma, Medical content, Gore, and Classism

Minor: Grief, Sexism, and Toxic friendship

haley_reads_books's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I really liked the first half of this book, but I felt it dragged on after the games until the last few chapters which held so many plot twists I didn’t see coming at all. I can’t wait to see how the movie turns out!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Alcoholism, War, Vomit, Injury/injury detail, Grief, Drug use, Death of parent, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Medical content, Classism, Chronic illness, Child death, Blood, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Death, Child abuse, Cannibalism, Torture, Gore, Emotional abuse, and Eating disorder

chlorai's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Torture, Animal death, Child death, Classism, Hate crime, Injury/injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Violence, War, Xenophobia, Blood, Death, and Gun violence

jenna_justi2004's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• 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: Gaslighting, Grief, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Gore, Murder, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Alcohol, Animal death, Body horror, Cannibalism, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Vomit

lastcomment314's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Blood, Gun violence, Child death, Drug abuse, Murder, Death, Drug use, Excrement, Gore, Grief, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Body horror, Classism, and Injury/injury detail

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Cannibalism, Dementia, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, and Alcohol