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Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore
146 reviews
bookwyrmknits's review against another edition
This book has a lot of important and interesting information in it, and is a part of our history that isn't generally taught in schools. (Or at least, wasn't when and where I went to school.) However, it's pretty repetitive and rather graphic with descriptions of the radiation damage, and I'm not interested in continuing.
I also have to be honest and say that part of the reason for the DNF is the narration. For the most part I didn't have any issues with the narration. However, as the tension ramped up in the second third of the book, the narrator started to lengthen some of the vowels and deepen her voice at the end of sentences. It feels like this was done for dramatic impact but all it did was annoy me.
I also have to be honest and say that part of the reason for the DNF is the narration. For the most part I didn't have any issues with the narration. However, as the tension ramped up in the second third of the book, the narrator started to lengthen some of the vowels and deepen her voice at the end of sentences. It feels like this was done for dramatic impact but all it did was annoy me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Death
aech's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Infertility, Miscarriage, Blood, Grief, and Classism
beeping_librarian's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
3.0
Clearly a lot of research. Grew more interesting as the book transitioned away from introducing a huge number of "characters" and into describing the medical and legal battles.
Didn't like the tendency to make up situations and real people's thoughts for the sake of painting a picture. Also had a weird focus on describing how attractive the women were -- and continuously calling them girls no matter how old they were.
Didn't like the tendency to make up situations and real people's thoughts for the sake of painting a picture. Also had a weird focus on describing how attractive the women were -- and continuously calling them girls no matter how old they were.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Medical content, and Medical trauma
morrigu1333's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Gore, and Medical trauma
mmccombs's review against another edition
dark
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.0
This almost felt like reading a horror novel, it was absolutely harrowing. I thought this was very propulsive and I loved that this was mostly told from the direct perspectives of the women and families involved. Sometimes the writing felt a bit cheesy and repetitive, but on the whole I couldn’t put this book down. The descriptions of each woman’s slow and painful deaths were sometimes a bit much but did capture just how bonkers it is that these people were literally dissolving and somehow these corporations were still able to wriggle out of responsibility. Absolutely maddening, describing how profit and capitalism will always take precedence over the wellbeing of workers, clearly showing how labor rights are disability rights and vice versa. If you want to be equally upset and informed, this is the book for you!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Death, Sexism, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
gisreading's review
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
5.0
This book tears your heart apart for these poor women while leaving you amazed by their bravery, and frustrates you to no end at the selfish, greedy people that will do anything for money. It's entirely one thing to hear about the radium girls in passing as you grow up, hearing only the surface of what they suffered in their short lives. It's another to read in detail the horrifying way these women's lives ended, and the way so many people knew and ignored the dangers they knew radium possesses. It's yet another terrifying example of what money and power can do to cause innocent people their lives, while others prosper and turn a blind eye. These women will be forever loved and adored for all they have done for others, as well as celebrated for their amazing fight for justice. Rest easy, girls.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Terminal illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Mental illness and Miscarriage
badger_ti_robespierre's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
Should be required reading
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexism, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail
jcstokes95's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
sad
slow-paced
2.5
Unfortunately, I feel like I’m giving a somewhat conflicted review here. The story contained within this book is harrowing and elicited a lot of fury from me as I read. We follow a score of women, in New Jersey and Illinois, who worked for USRC, painting dials with radium, unknowingly pouring poison into their systems for years. I should say, the poor women did not know, the company knew radium was dangerous from its creation. The main reactions I had while reading were wanting to scream OR wanting to find these men’s grave to shit on them. So….in that sense, Kate Moore really does get to the core of the story, which had been pretty much untold through a humanitarian lens.
However, I don’t feel I can call this book a runaway favorite because Moore’s writing style is substantially lacking. The chapters were punctuated with what felt like trite little speeches in the author’s voice. But they became repetitive… as did some of the evidence she was providing. I read this via audiobook, and at times I felt like I’d heard the line before in reference to other women. This made the 16 hour runtime feel like it could have been more succinct, thus having a larger impact. Something in Moore’s voice lacks the warmth to fully bring parts of this story to life. But I can’t fully fault her, because it’s clear the research for this book must have been painstaking. And I respect that she has created a real, readable record of these stories.
These women suffered from conditions that are frankly nauseating to read about. I can’t imagine living in the pain they did. Or having the strength of character and dignity they carried to fight a corporation which was so sinful. I mean, there is a point where they essentially steal a fucking body. And publish private medical information of a dead woman. I read this feeling only rage, so I recommend it, even though there are shortcoming in how it is written and structured.
However, I don’t feel I can call this book a runaway favorite because Moore’s writing style is substantially lacking. The chapters were punctuated with what felt like trite little speeches in the author’s voice. But they became repetitive… as did some of the evidence she was providing. I read this via audiobook, and at times I felt like I’d heard the line before in reference to other women. This made the 16 hour runtime feel like it could have been more succinct, thus having a larger impact. Something in Moore’s voice lacks the warmth to fully bring parts of this story to life. But I can’t fully fault her, because it’s clear the research for this book must have been painstaking. And I respect that she has created a real, readable record of these stories.
These women suffered from conditions that are frankly nauseating to read about. I can’t imagine living in the pain they did. Or having the strength of character and dignity they carried to fight a corporation which was so sinful. I mean, there is a point where they essentially steal a fucking body. And publish private medical information of a dead woman. I read this feeling only rage, so I recommend it, even though there are shortcoming in how it is written and structured.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, and Medical trauma
lovetlr's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Really enjoyed the human element of the radium girls
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Sexism, Terminal illness, Blood, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child death, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Death of parent
bmpicc's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
4.5
Do not read if you have dental anxiety! I remember people talking about radium and the shining women. I don't remember anyone discussing their teeth, jaws, shattering bones, and unnecessarily early deaths. This was an incredible story.
Like Moore's book 'The Woman They Could Not Silence', I appreciate learning at the end the laws added to the books, the why behind her decision to write the book, etc. I'll be following this up with the graphic novel.
"You fight and you fall and you get up and fight some more. But there will always come a day when you cannot fight another minute more.”
Like Moore's book 'The Woman They Could Not Silence', I appreciate learning at the end the laws added to the books, the why behind her decision to write the book, etc. I'll be following this up with the graphic novel.
"You fight and you fall and you get up and fight some more. But there will always come a day when you cannot fight another minute more.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Cancer, Infertility, and Miscarriage