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soobooksalot's review
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
tense
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
4.0
The world is a heavy place right now. So much loss, so many suffering as a result.
Blue Notes is a fictional story about the physiology and psychology of grief, and attempts to ease the suffering of those who have lost loved ones.
Thank you to ZG Reads and BookHug Press for my gifted copy for review!
A university research group is doing human trials on the drug Callocain developed by Danish Pharma, used for the most extreme cases of grief known as Persistent Grief Disorder. Though evidence is piling up that the medication may cause unintended effects in it's test subjects.
Chapters alternate with members of the present-day research team, as well as Callocain's inventor Elisabeth starting more than a decade prior. Their depictions of loss add emotional and heart-wrenching elements to balance the scientific, and a few twists along the way.
I've always been drawn to medical stories, and Blue Notes did not disappoint. Author Anne Cathrine Bomann and translator Caroline Waight make a most readable team.
Recommended!
For release on Feb. 22.
Blue Notes is a fictional story about the physiology and psychology of grief, and attempts to ease the suffering of those who have lost loved ones.
Thank you to ZG Reads and BookHug Press for my gifted copy for review!
A university research group is doing human trials on the drug Callocain developed by Danish Pharma, used for the most extreme cases of grief known as Persistent Grief Disorder. Though evidence is piling up that the medication may cause unintended effects in it's test subjects.
Chapters alternate with members of the present-day research team, as well as Callocain's inventor Elisabeth starting more than a decade prior. Their depictions of loss add emotional and heart-wrenching elements to balance the scientific, and a few twists along the way.
I've always been drawn to medical stories, and Blue Notes did not disappoint. Author Anne Cathrine Bomann and translator Caroline Waight make a most readable team.
Recommended!
For release on Feb. 22.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, Animal death, Child death, Death of parent, Medical content, and Mental illness
sha's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Blue Notes is a novel in conversation with the diagnosis of prolonged grief disorder becoming recognised by the world health organization. It contemplates where the line should be drawn when regarding grief as a mental illness versus a normal part of life. The novel doesn’t stop there it also explores the use of medication with mental illness and the political, legal, ethical and personal factors involved in developing, using, and/or continuing to use a medication.
This novel also delves into the politics of medicine and medical research, which I personally really enjoyed with my having a background in nursing research throughout my nursing degree. It was very interesting to to me that the author gave us multiple POVs to consider the themes explored from many different angles.
The chapters are short and broken into smaller, different POVs which (for me) is captivating and makes it very easy to read, as I do tend to get bored with chapters that are too long. I also believe that the author and translator do a good job of making the world of medicine and research accessible to the reader with clear explanations and understandable terminology.
Overall I really enjoyed this book! And would recommend it to anyone looking for a medium-fast paced literary thriller exploring mental health, love, death, and what it means to be human in this convoluted world.
P.S. thank you bookhug for the arc of this novel 🖤
P.S.S. the publication date of this novel is February 22 so mark your calendars!
This novel also delves into the politics of medicine and medical research, which I personally really enjoyed with my having a background in nursing research throughout my nursing degree. It was very interesting to to me that the author gave us multiple POVs to consider the themes explored from many different angles.
The chapters are short and broken into smaller, different POVs which (for me) is captivating and makes it very easy to read, as I do tend to get bored with chapters that are too long. I also believe that the author and translator do a good job of making the world of medicine and research accessible to the reader with clear explanations and understandable terminology.
Overall I really enjoyed this book! And would recommend it to anyone looking for a medium-fast paced literary thriller exploring mental health, love, death, and what it means to be human in this convoluted world.
P.S. thank you bookhug for the arc of this novel 🖤
P.S.S. the publication date of this novel is February 22 so mark your calendars!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Child death, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, and Mental illness
daja123's review against another edition
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Animal death, Death, and Child death
audreyleighreads's review
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Child death, Death of parent, and Death
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