Reviews tagging 'Infertility'

The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante

14 reviews

carojust's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

Oh, I'm emotionally invested. Definitely read these in order. This book builds on Elena and Lina's lives after Lina's wedding, and we follow them into young adulthood with the same gravity and detail as the first book.

The first half was a drag for me, and suddenly I raced through the second half in a day, after the turning point during their beach vacation. Nino Sarratore, count your days.

Lina, who bothered me only a little in the first book, absolutely drove me up the wall in this one. I have a friend who made the same decisions in real life as this character does, and am stunned at the exact psychological pattern both follow. Elena Ferrante has a power in reflecting precise emotions and turmoil that are so frighteningly real.

I'm left so satisfied with how Elena's life is evolving, and while there are no winners in this story, I'll continue rooting for her, the idea of her that I hold inside myself. 

I think it's the obsessive inadequacy, the verbose and constant reflection, the natural tendency to empathize, that makes this series feel like womanhood, itself. I better understand why this series has captured so many of us. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and War

annamgoodman's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective relaxing sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy

graciegrace20's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Infertility and Classism

marilululu's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment

Minor: Ableism and Body shaming

lexcellent's review against another edition

emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Classism

ghostbirds's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Body shaming, Gore, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual content, Blood, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Cursing, Fatphobia, Infertility, and Grief

sineadlgull's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective slow-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

4.5

Great book with strong character/relationship development. Characters and majorly flawed yet interesting and strangely loveable.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Murder

nadiaherondale's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed this one quite more than the first one, maybe It's cause I'm already invested on the characters or maybe it was the pacing. Once again we submerged ourselves into Lenu and Lina's world of violence, poverty and money (a central theme on this one specially), friendship and the hardships of being female. Nino Sarratore is exactly the kind of man I hate (pretends to be the good stuff and it's actually the worst of all) and the ending gave me chills, just when I thought Lenu was out of reach. At some points of the story I hated Lina with passion, I think it's just what the author intended since it's supposed to be Lenu's narrative and her feelings strongly bleed into the writing, and I actually loved that. All in all I'm excited to keep the series and see what we get ourselves into on the next one, now that both Elena and Lila seem to have escaped the neighborhood up to some point.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Body shaming, Infertility, Miscarriage, Death of parent, and Classism

samarakroeger's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

I liked this so much more than the first book!  While it felt like I was dragging my feet through parts of My Brilliant Friend, I was hooked to this one. This book follows them from the ages of 15-23, focusing on Lenu’s pursuit of education and Lila’s tumultuous and abusive marriage. 

If I thought the first book had kill all men energy, then it is even stronger here. Every single man is downright terrible here. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Classism

jmullins21's review against another edition

challenging reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide, and Toxic friendship