Reviews tagging 'Body horror'

This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries of a Junior Doctor by Adam Kay

19 reviews

scarletkeiller's review against another edition

emotional funny informative sad fast-paced

4.75

As close to five stars as it could get without hitting the mark. This was an exceptional read! Kay’s ability to write about such stressful, life-altering experiences with lightheartedness and wit is unbelievable. Following his journey through medicine and the increasing pressures of the responsibility of his job, I found myself very endeared to him.

He is fundamentally very honest about his thoughts and actions, even when they don’t paint him in the best light, so by the end, when you are reading a recollection of probably the greatest trauma of his life, it is devastating to say the least. The section ‘Aftermath’ had me in fits of tears, and for hours after finishing the book I was still reflecting on what I had read, and how it made me feel, and how special this was as an experience. The only reason I haven’t rated it five stars is that, despite how much I loved the way this was structured and paced, I felt that the ‘bonus entries’ at the end of the book softened the emotional impact of the climax, and took away the harshness of the blow it had dealt. Which sounds like an odd thing to complain about, but up until the final diary entry, despite being able to see the cracks forming in his mental health and his ability to cope with the stress of the job, you can see he still loves being in obs and gynae and he finds value and humour in the job regardless of the monumental toll it takes on his personal life and health. So when he is suddenly thrown into a situation so stressful and so traumatic that it eventually leads to his leaving medicine altogether, this is a huge shock and, naturally, I wanted to sit with the feelings it brought up for a while and really reflect on what I had read. It was clearly a huge deal for him to share this experience, and it was a shame that the extra bits at the end took away from its impact.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

callmeplushies's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

I wish there were more explanations on some terms. Hard to sit through at times, but enjoyed the ride nonetheless!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Grief, and Pregnancy

Minor: Alcoholism and Suicide

readliketay's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail

tupsukorva's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative fast-paced

4.25

If you're someone who gets offended easily, don't risk it by reading this book. It doesn't poke fun at patients themselves too much (though sometimes it would be totally deserved), but it can trigger some. As a person who works in veterinary medicine, I found some obvious similarities to our line of work. In solidarity it brings me so much relief, and obviously it was hilarious!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

interloperandy's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Infertility, Miscarriage, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

megb64's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Gore, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Death, and Blood

kat_greenwood99's review against another edition

emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Infertility, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Body shaming, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol

eloiseug's review against another edition

emotional funny informative reflective fast-paced

5.0

This book was simply incredible. The writing is funny, witty and sarcastic. The book gives you a real sense of all of the positives and negatives of being a junior doctor, along with a sense that you are really getting to know Adam as he was when he was practicing. Kay's writing is a triumph, and one of the best things I have ever had the privilege to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Death, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Minor: Religious bigotry and Abortion

quiet_vulture's review against another edition

emotional funny informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Death, Miscarriage, and Blood

Minor: Infertility and Suicidal thoughts

bookbird's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

Jan 2023: This must be my third or fourth reread of this incredibly special book. Kay is a master storyteller, and it's his finely balanced combination of light and dark that make this book so impactful. A must-read for anyone who has ever had even the briefest experience of the NHS.

Jan 2024: I don't think I'll ever be able to properly express how highly I recommend this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail