Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

The Good Daughter by Karin Slaughter

22 reviews

semeyers's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.5

 Heavy, heavy trigger warnings for: gun violence, murder, rape, and miscarriage/fetal death.

This book was definitely a victim of overwriting/too much detail. It dragged and parts of it felt like they went on forever. Usually I can barely put one of Slaughter's books down, but I felt myself getting distracted from this one and needing to take breaks here and there to get through it. I appreciated the repeated "Past" timeline from the different perspectives and how new details were added each time, I think it worked to show how failable and easily manipulated memory is. But I did not like the repeated perspectives in the "Current" timeline, especially because it felt like nothing new was gleaned from the retellings. I also felt like a lot of the conversations between the sisters were just constant rehashing that went on for pages too long and did not move the plot forward at all. I wish this book was edited with a more heavy hand and made 100-150 pages shorter, it would have kept things moving and made the events at the end more shocking.

That being said, I think the story was quite good. I loved all of the characters, Sam, Charlie, Rusty, Ben, Lenore, Gamma, flaws and all. I think they were quite well written overall. Every one of them was complex and you continuously learned about them as the book went on. They all (maybe with the exception of Lenore) had a really nice character arc that was wrapped up in the end. I enjoyed that the "Past" timeline was more of a focus.

Overall, did enjoy this book. I always give caution with Slaughter's writing due to the amount and graphic-nature of the violence perpetuated, especially against women. If this is not something that would stop you from reading a book, then I would check this one out. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, and Murder

Moderate: Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Transphobia

motylovesbooks's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Medical trauma, and Murder

chloseencounter's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This novel was my favorite Karin Slaughter book I’ve read so far. After really enjoying Pretty Girls I picked this up and was surprised when I liked it even more. I think this book has just the right amount of twists and turns, I loved all the main characters (even rusty was enjoyable), the sister’s relationship was complex and interesting and they had a great dynamic. I really have nothing to complain about here except that maybe I would’ve liked a little more time with Kelly. We heard a lot about Kelly through the lenses of other people but didn’t often hear her experiences articulated straight from her. I am now rereading this book and I am caught surprised by all the tiny seeds being planted from the very first chapter that I think would almost be impossible to catch before a second read, I can really appreciate the author’s writing style in that way. Some very effective writing techniques where used to make you feel a certain way about characters  before they were even introduced.

Such as choosing not to bring Rusty into the story until much later because he was often described as an absent father who put work first, and in that way he was even absent to the reader for quite awhile. Or that Sam was treated as if she was dead up until her intro to the story a few chapters in, because to Charlie she might as well have been dead.

I will warn that this story can be graphic at times (though it doesn’t hold a candle to Pretty Girls) but I do think the violence served a purpose in explaining why characters acted the way they did in their adult lives and even gave some insight on relationships between the sisters and parents. 

Like Rusty asking Charlie to lie about being assaulted or how Sam told Charlie she was able to see when she couldn’t to comfort Charlie.

I also really enjoyed the banter between Charlie and Sam, sometimes even Rusty. I think this was a super solid read and has made me excited to work my way through more Karin Slaughter books! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Police brutality, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Gore, Infertility, Miscarriage, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Cursing, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicide, Blood, Grief, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

esemple's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

mamawantsbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying

lauraeerika's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

FIRST FIVE STAR READ OF THE YEAR and i think this might be my favorite read from thriller/mystery genre, the fucking writing style, the characters, the relationship between the sisters and the dad omfg i have wayyy to many emotions to write a full review so this is mostly rambling, this my first book by karin slaughter and she didn’t disappoint, her writing make it seem like they are real, real human beings experiencing this tragedy, i honestly might go cry after finishing this review

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Racism, Suicide, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Pedophilia

mpango's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Miscarriage, Rape, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Murder

abbeyhuffine94's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Chronic illness, Infertility, Infidelity, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Cancer, Pedophilia, Terminal illness, Transphobia, and Abortion

the_escapist's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

melody01's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder