Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka

20 reviews

robinks's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.25

The tone of the first two chapters was so different from the remainder of the book that it was a little jarring. I was not expecting where the story went, but I appreciated the depth. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, and Dementia

Moderate: Child death, Death, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Racism, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Confinement and War

sadhbhprice's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Dementia, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child death, Fatphobia, Grief, Pregnancy, and War

avisreadsandreads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Medical content, Dementia, and Grief

Moderate: Child death, Fatphobia, Miscarriage, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, and Death of parent

Minor: Suicide, Car accident, and War

aseel_reads's review against another edition

reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.75

The first half of this made me want to start swimming again and the second half of this made me want to hug my mum and a bit worried about the dementia genes in my family...

I really liked the way this was written, in the repetitive way of stating facts that advanced the plot, pretty unique and very easy to understand. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Child death and Racism

enlamont's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness and Dementia

Moderate: Medical content

Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Child death, Infertility, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

gladiolus17's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective fast-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

4.0

The form and POV of the book was very fun.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content

peggymay's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Racism, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Medical content, Death of parent, and War

Minor: Child death

balfies's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-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? No

3.75

For the swimmers, the pool is at the centre of their lives. The swimmers' most sacred rule is to be kind to Alice, who is losing her memory. Then inexplicable cracks emerge in the pool.

An incredibly affecting piece of autofiction about having a parent with Alzheimer's, and the daily griefs of watching a loved one's sense of self give out under them. 

I've never read one of Otsuka's full novels, but if they're all as moving, beautiful, and precise as this then I'm gonna have to bump them up the list. Read if you like Crying in H Mart or No One is Talking About This.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Medical content, Dementia, and Death of parent

Minor: Confinement and Genocide

kers_tin's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Dementia, and Death of parent

Moderate: Xenophobia and War

heatherjchin's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Dementia, and Grief

Moderate: Terminal illness and Death of parent

Minor: Child death, Death, Mental illness, and Medical content