Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

The Sunshine Court by Nora Sakavic

26 reviews

mo345's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Confinement, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Death, Child abuse, Blood, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Rape

Moderate: Vomit

Minor: Medical content, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Grief, and Homophobia

m4ximus_pr1m3's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Self harm, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Cursing, Death, Suicide, Mental illness, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Medical content

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Eating disorder, Vomit, and Bullying

cyancookie's review

dark emotional sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Blood, Sexual violence, Violence, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Self harm, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Torture, Murder, Child death, and Confinement

shakita45's review

emotional hopeful 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

4.5

When I picked this book up, I absolutely didn't expect it to become my favorite entry into the All For The Game series.  I loved Neil's story so much, and Jean was a side character at best, and primarily an antagonist.  I was extremely ambivalent about following him instead of a more familiar character, but my stance on that changed FAST.

This story really highlights how far Nora's writing has come over the years, which allows Jean to be both a person who has had wrong done to him while also perpetuating wrongness to other characters.  It never feels like we're trying to excuse Jean's exactions, but rather that we're looking into all the things that went into making him, HIM.

Jeremy Knox is also a stand-out as one of my favorite AFTG characters, if not my absolute favorite at this point.  He's such a ray of sunshine, who we know battles his own demons, but he's such a rock in the storm that Jean is weathering, and we see how seriously he takes his position as captain, and how that extends to the care and consideration he gives all the other Trojans.

Jean is special to him, I think, but Jeremy's actions towards Jean AREN'T special; I firmly believe he would go this far for anyone who needed him to, and I think that makes him such a remarkable character.  Neil and Andrew were both wounded animals, biting at each other and taking comfort in the only ways they know how, but Jean and Jeremy have such a KIND dynamic at the end of the day.  I think more than anything, Jean wants to be kind, because no matter what he's suffered, he still pays such incredible attention to the people around him and tries to do right by them.

I'm going to be on absolute pins and needles while I wait for the next book, and I am positively frothing at the mouth to learn more about Jeremy's backstory.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Torture, Blood, Rape, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Sexual assault

As this is an AFTG book, there is an endless list of triggers, and I've tried to highlight as many as I can, but please exercise caution.

frantic_vampire's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Holy fuck. For all that it has a bright sunshiny name, this book was absolutely brutal and devastating. With each passing chapter and every horrific little revelation about the abuse that Jean suffered I wanted to scream and cry and rage on his behalf. I loved that Jean was able to find little bright spots of happiness in the smallest things like cooking with Cat, (begrudgingly) shopping with Laila, and having Jeremy as his partner. I also loved that they gave Jean the space he needed, respected privacy (for the most part), and accepted his boundaries (only pushing them when they absolutely had to).

There is so much to unpack with this book and I don’t think I caught everything that was happening in this read. So a reread is definitely needed before the next book comes out. But my god. This was probably one of the most emotionally devastating books I think I’ve ever read. It’s getting a solid five stars and I don’t know what I’m gonna do with myself until the next book comes out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Rape, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Self harm, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Homophobia, Vomit, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Biphobia, Medical content, Stalking, Body horror, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Trafficking, Child death, Gun violence, and Death

soulsafire's review

dark emotional hopeful sad tense 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

5.0

I've been waiting for this book for literal years.

Seeing some of my favourite characters from a totally new perspective is everything I wanted. Neil Josten. 

My heart breaks over and over for Jean and the friendship he slowly gains with the Trojans is just beautiful. But, Jeremy what are you hiding? 

Maybe I'm just too invested in these characters, but this was so perfect and I cannot wait for tsc2.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, and Suicide

nikoops's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

The newest novel in the All for the Game series focus on former Raven, marked #3 for the Perfect Court, Jean Moreau and his transfer to USC. The book delves into Jean’s past, and his treatment under Riko, Coach Moriyama, and the Ravens. Chapters switch POVs between Jean, and captain of USC’s Exy team (the Trojans), Jeremy Knox. 

Sakavic’s writing and character development remain as strong as they were in previous installments, but with a bit more depth into the plot set up in earlier books—Jean’s perspective is a welcome puzzle piece to help fill in the universe Sakavic has created. 

Definitely looking foreword to where Jean’s story goes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Stalking, Vomit, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Child abuse, Medical trauma, Self harm, Sexual violence, Bullying, Mental illness, Death, Murder, Torture, Confinement, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Physical abuse, Rape, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

The abuse Jean faced at Evermore is discussed, it is explicitly stated that sexual violence/rape happened to him along with water boarding, cutting, burning, and various other forms of abuse/torture. Jean has a run-in with one of his abusers, and is hurt in the interaction both physically/mentally.

katerina_l's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful relaxing 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual harassment, Torture, Rape, Suicide attempt, Death, Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness

unnamedreptile41's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

Loved this book. Hate it. Would definitely read again. Would not recommend. I honestly think Nora got better at writing. Love the continuation. Cant wait for TSC2.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Self harm, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Torture

Moderate: Trafficking, Medical content, Suicide, Child death, and Vomit

Minor: Suicide attempt, Outing, and Murder

kaydee_reads's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense slow-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

5.0

I don’t really know how to rate a book in the AFTG series. Is the plot completely chaotic and absolutely unrealistic? Yes. Is it grounded in very real, aching grief and hurt and comfort and gritted-teeth survival instincts, and so well written that you forget how far fetched it all is? Also yes. 

Did I devour it in a day? Also yes. 

The main characters are so flawed and so human and so, so loveable. The found family vibes are impeccable. The weird blend of made up collegiate sports and a mafia thriller shouldn’t work but somehow does. 10/10. 5 stars. I love them. I’m horrified by at least 50% of the plot. I need Jean to have all the hugs. I don’t even know how to review this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Violence, Torture, Grief, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Suicide, Stalking, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Cursing, and Confinement