Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Love in the Big City by Sang Young Park

25 reviews

tesschair's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Fatphobia and Suicidal thoughts

the main character lives with hiv/aids

savvylit's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective 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

This novel discusses the ups and downs of multiple types of love - platonic love, familial love, toxic love, queer love, and true love. Being as this book's timeline begins while he is still in university, Young is a (self-aware) hot mess for much of this novel as he figures out what kind of adult he wants to be. Spoiler alert: like most of us, he never really lands on one path for life guidance. Rather, Young remains unabashedly himself while continuing to ride the ups and downs of life, bouncing from job to job and romantic relationship to romantic relationship. His narration is delightful, relatable, often heartbreaking, and reflective.

Overall, Love in the Big City is a millennial new-adult novel about how simultaneously difficult and beautiful it can be to give your love to another person.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Outing

himangi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Outing, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Vomit and Stalking

liv_txt's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Medical content, and Alcohol

readingqueerly's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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

Where do I even start. This book is phenomenal. And that's coming from me, a person who isn't usually interested in contemporary literature. I feel like I could relate to the main character so well. Some issues he went through were very recognizable and we're things I'm going through as we speak even. The way relationships are depicted, be it platonic or romantic or familial, is so incredibly realistic it becomes painful and painfully relatable. I've always loved character driven stories. And this truly is top tier for me. The MC is so deeply flawed, I disliked him at several points. Yet it just made me want to keep reading. 
Despite my grudge against this Dutch translation, I will be scoring this with the full five stars. Those last few lines made me CRY.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Abortion, and Alcohol

mmefish's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad fast-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

I took out a low, foldable table from under the bed and wiped the dust with a wet wipe. No matter how much I wiped, there was still dust—how very much like everything else in my life.

Rain still falls during the late rainy season, as do tears even when it's too late.

I have a soft spot for books like this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Homophobia, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

Minor: Death, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Religious bigotry, and Car accident

morebedsidebooks's review against another edition

slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

scifi_rat's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Chronic illness, and Homophobia

Moderate: Alcoholism, Medical content, Abortion, and Alcohol

Minor: Fatphobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Outing

annekay's review against another edition

funny reflective sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Homophobia, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Abortion, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Emotional abuse and Stalking

le_mur's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Homophobia, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Cancer, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Abortion, and Suicide attempt