Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue

19 reviews

bessadams's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-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? No

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Sexism, Blood, Child death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Religious bigotry, Death, Grief, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Vomit, and War

hdzigurski's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? No

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Miscarriage, Medical content, and Medical trauma

helzie_2023's review against another edition

emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical trauma, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child abuse, Medical content, Forced institutionalization, and Gore

stargirlmolly's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Grief, Miscarriage, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Classism, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Suicide, Child abuse, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, and Ableism

Minor: War and Violence

wonderforehead's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

I don’t even know where to start. Much like what the narrator says at one point, what happens in this book is like a fever dream. What felt like a slow start was slowly eclipsed by the struggles that just kept coming, one after another, in that makeshift maternity ward. At the same time, I wished the book was longer, much as it made me feel all sorts of things. But then again, I think I just wish that because of at the end of the day, this book just breaks my heart. It’s hopeful in some ways, but bitter in others. I’m rambling now but basically, I think I’m gonna remember this book for a long time.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, and Medical trauma

Moderate: War

Minor: Physical abuse, Classism, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Child abuse

thealienamongus's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Miscarriage, Slavery, Death, Pregnancy, Medical content, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, War, Classism, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Alcohol

phoebeeandjam's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

I LOVED THIS BOOK!! I think that this may be my favourite book of all time (to be fair, I haven’t read that many books). 

Though it isn’t the central focus, it is queer! I felt like the characters were written beautifully. 

It took me a minute to get used to the writing style, and there were a lot of nouns I hadn’t heard before because I was not alive in 1918 and I am not Irish lol but I was able to use context clues to get the idea. Despite this, I loved every second of The Pull of the Stars, and I read it every chance I got. I was sad when it ended, and I will likely reread it in the near future. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Medical content, Miscarriage, and Child death

Minor: War and Forced institutionalization

wreathedinviolets's review against another edition

emotional sad 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? No

4.5

I love that Emma Donoghue books always feel fully immersed in a setting and time. Honestly reading about a novel set during a different pandemic is oddly comforting. I wish the events were spread across more than just a few days but boy are those days completely packed with plot! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Pregnancy, Child death, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Child abuse and Forced institutionalization

ladysanctuary's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Blood, Death, Pregnancy, and Medical content

Moderate: Abandonment, Sexism, Classism, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, and Medical trauma

Minor: War

atrkula's review against another edition

inspiring tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical content, Miscarriage, Sexism, and Terminal illness