Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar

7 reviews

orlagal's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Islamophobia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War

zara89's review

dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, and War

theelizabethjoy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

If you have been or are depressed and suicidal, please read this carefully. It does not glorify suicide or death but has deep conversations about it and the longing to not exist. I was in a good headspace when listening to it but I could see myself being pushed closer if I had been in a bad headspace. Gorgeous book, we need more like it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Islamophobia, and Pregnancy

Minor: Racial slurs, Vomit, and War

kalagrace's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

Compelling and a bit too relatable. Beautifully written. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Islamophobia, Grief, and Abandonment

vanguardens's review against another edition

challenging reflective tense slow-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

4.5

What does it mean to be alive when you wish to be among the dead? That is Cyrus Shams’ central obsession. Martyr! takes you on a series of journeys of one man holding multiple histories in his body and mind. A scathing story of addiction, recovery and how “living life on life’s terms” does not gel well with post-post-modernist conceptions of justice.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, and War

Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Death of parent

cleo_reads's review against another edition

challenging hopeful

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I have no idea how to rate this weird, queer lit fic book that got a lot of buzz. I wanted to like it a little more then I did but I'm not at all sorry that I read it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Alcoholism

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, and Death of parent

Minor: Cancer, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Islamophobia, and War

travisppe's review against another edition

dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective 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

5.0

Really loved this book

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, and Alcohol