g_smit's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny reflective fast-paced

5.0


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scarletkeiller's review against another edition

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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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callmeplushies's review against another edition

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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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readliketay's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny sad fast-paced

4.0


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tupsukorva's review against another edition

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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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interloperandy's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

3.0


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megb64's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

5.0


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kat_greenwood99's review against another edition

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emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

4.5


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eloiseug's review against another edition

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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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quiet_vulture's review against another edition

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emotional funny informative reflective sad fast-paced

5.0


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