Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev

23 reviews

iamsammie27's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Medical content, and Cancer

Moderate: Racism, Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Infertility

Minor: Rape and Infidelity

sakeriver's review against another edition

lighthearted fast-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

I have to admit, I was surprised by how strongly and quickly I turned to liking this book, after spending the first two-thirds or so really disliking both MCs. But in the end the slow burn paid off, with both characters growing in very satisfying ways. And where it really shined, IMO, was in the MCs’ respective family relationships. In both the relationship and family dynamics, the revelations and subsequent reconciliation were fairly quick, but the story was built well enough that it still came across as authentic.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Medical content, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Death of parent

ashleytalksbooks's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

2.75

This was a good book and could easily have been a four or five star read for me, but the problematic elements knocked it down several notches unfortunately. Spoilers ahead as well as a content warning for sexual assault and ableism:

Exploring male victims of sexual assault is a very important story to bring light to and deserves proper treatment. Choosing to have a teenage girl sexually assault and drug a grown man as a plot point is not doing that. The implications and optics of a rich powerful man being taken advantage of by a teenage girl casts doubt on victims and is irresponsible story telling. Especially when there were far better ways to adapt Whickham. They could have had her embezzling his campaign funds and stealing money or even had her be an older adult who took advantage of him as a political mentor when he was just starting at his career. Every time it was mentioned I felt sick at my stomach and the story would have been so much better if anything else was done.

There were also multiple parts that seemed to be an attempt to give disabled rep that felt very ableist. The way they handled their cousin with epilepsy. Them never leaving the attic felt really gross especially with the real world history of locking disabled people away.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Cancer, Racism, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Police brutality, Rape, and Sexual assault

elykeepthefaith's review against another edition

emotional funny 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? Yes

4.25

Sonali Dev is a master at creating characters that are so relatable and that simply come off the page. The dynamics of the Raje family was so well developed. I will say that it took longer for me to get invested in Trisha and DJs story in comparison to the other couples in the Raje series (yes, I read them completely out of order). Similar to their Austen counterparts, Trisha and DJ have a lot to work through. I think the pace of the story picks up after the first love confession. If you are in the mood for a multicultural romance, with main characters that can’t quite get it right, and loads of family drama  you will enjoy this one.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer and Terminal illness

Moderate: Grief and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual assault and Violence

meleigh's review

2.0

This book was a struggle to get through. I get that she was supposed to be some level of insufferable but honestly it was a bit much. There was no depth to the supporting characters (other than Emma). Just wasn't for me I guess. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Medical content, Eating disorder, Racism, Terminal illness, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Miscarriage and Infertility

qgg's review against another edition

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

I really want to give this book a higher rating. It’s a gender bent retelling of P&P with Indian-American culture. Trish Raje is a brilliant brain surgeon and she knows where her talents lie. She plays an excellent Darcy. DJ, in the Lizzie Bennet role, is a gifted chef giving the whole story a Indian foodie flavor. There is a truly wicked Wickham in the mix. What’s not to love? 

Unfortunately, the Raje family dynamics are toxic

blaming Trish for things out of her control

The HIPAA violations between Trish and her family are unforgivable.

The resolution between DJ and Trish at the end seemed rushed and lacking in true chemistry AND it was another medical ethical violation unless Trish turned Emma’s care over to another surgeon.

Other reviews mention the length of the book and the side plots. I really liked the author’s writing and I think they helped develop Trish’s character. 

I have two more issues. 
1. Trish seemed to be written as autistic-coded. The book already was ableist AF. (Full star deduction for that.) Limited special interests, difficulty making friends, intense loyalty, strong *personal* ethical code (not necessarily aligned with laws like HIPAA), hyperfocus to the point of excluding sleeping and eating…. The only marker not explicitly stated was stimming. So, DJ’s dislike of her is even more ableism in this book.
2.

Maybe this is because I am a physical therapist who has worked in hospitals, but there is no way a surgeon would be researching a program, facility or artist like in this book for a patient. A social worker would call a meeting and SW, OT or PT would probably suggest changing artistic mediums to an artist. Resources would be suggested for the patient and family to look up on their own. Patients get autonomy at all times including the choice to stay sick and die with the dignity of their own choice.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism and Cancer

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Medical content, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Rape, Death of parent, Classism, Racism, and Terminal illness

imds's review

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Classism, Confinement, Death, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Police brutality, Racism, Ableism, Cancer, Chronic illness, and Terminal illness

thaliareads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

4.5

What a fun take on Pride and Prejudice. This book provides a completely new and original feeling story built off the tropes and plot elements of the original Jane Austen work. I did have problems with Trisha's attitude at certain points in the book, however as the "Darcy" character that is too be expected to a point. Overall this was a really great read and I can't wait to make it through the other books. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, and Abandonment

Moderate: Miscarriage, Medical content, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Rape, Gaslighting, Infertility, Death, and Drug use

Minor: Racism, Police brutality, Sexual content, Rape, and Sexual assault

This book does have a lot of heavy content. DJ's sister is dealing with a cancer prognosis that will leave her changed forever, even if she does survive it. Trisha feels abandoned by her family after a toxic friendship led to her brother being put in an awful situation (

Her friend get's close to the brother, eventually drugging him, raping him, and filming it to try and get closer to him via eliminating his girlfriend

. DJ and his sister both encounter the same toxic friend that Trisha had previous experience with, leading to discussions of his rough childhood and raising his sister after both of his parents were out of the picture. Finally, Trisha's sister, after a long standing battle with infantility and miscarriages is finally pregnant, but the high risk leads to a tense situation.

thecuriousbean's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

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

2.0

The author is very talented in writing but I despised the woman main character. I almost stopped reading halfway through but hate-read the rest of it just to see how it ended. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Medical content, Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Classism, Terminal illness, and Police brutality

Minor: Islamophobia, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Racism, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Confinement, Grief, and Drug use

claudiamacpherson's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted tense 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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Cancer, and Medical content

Minor: Sexual violence, Racism, and Sexual assault