Reviews tagging 'Medical trauma'

Why Fish Don't Exist: A Story of Loss, Love, and the Hidden Order of Life by Lulu Miller

64 reviews

sierrabowers's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

If you like reading about science and taxonomy, this would be a good book for you. If you’re loosely interested, maybe you would as well. I am not interested in these subjects but the way the author tied the subjects into her own story about life and how the universe is not as it seems… well I was interested to know why fish don’t exist. It was good book! Definitely not what I was expecting but it was enlightening and relaxing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Suicide attempt, Car accident, Death, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Racism, Racial slurs, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Slavery, Suicide, Homophobia, Infertility, Pregnancy, Classism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Ableism, Animal death, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Gun violence, Medical content, Physical abuse, and Police brutality

grey_jayne's review against another edition

emotional informative mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

3.75

I think the hype got to me on this one. It's good but I found it too meandering from the central premise at times. I did enjoy listening to it read by the author tho...and how she shared her queerness. Worth checking out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Medical trauma, Racism, Classism, Colonisation, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, and Mental illness

Moderate: Police brutality

craftysnailtail's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective fast-paced

4.5

A challenging read, but also an important one. A story that ended up being about topics that I never would've expected based on the synopsis. Many of those topics were heavy and difficult, but I appreciated the way Miller wove them together. The novel felt raw and human in a way that really stuck with me, which was especially surprising with it being non fiction. Also loved how the audiobook ended. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Racism, Genocide, Emotional abuse, and Ableism

satsumaorange's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced

5.0

Oh lord, this is the book I needed to read at this point in my life. Miller walks you through a journey out of hopelessness, out of meaninglessless, out of loss. The road of this journey is extensively scientific, relentlessly analytical, and reverent of the world around us. I was brought to tears many many times throughout this book, both from personal experiences with losing love, and from that near-universal human experience of wondering "What's the point of it all?" 
Miller brings scientific history, philosophy, and the remarkable life of David Starr Jordan together to restore hope in a life well-lived on this humble planet of ours. She encourages curiosity, wonder, and critical thinking as the antidote for the all-encompassing existential dread.
This was definitely one of the best books I read in 2023. It came to me exactly when I needed it. It might not be for everyone, if your brain doesn't work in the analytical way mine does, but I truly enjoyed the journey. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Medical trauma

Minor: Infidelity

Eugenics

alexandryareads's review against another edition

informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Racism, Ableism, Medical content, and Medical trauma

gmdho2023's review

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective fast-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Medical trauma, Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, and Infidelity

meganelizabeth's review

informative reflective sad medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts

readingpicnic's review

adventurous emotional reflective medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Medical trauma, Child death, Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Racism

Minor: Infidelity and Self harm

justkellyann's review

informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Death, Child death, and Medical trauma

Minor: Xenophobia and Rape

inthemoonlight's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective medium-paced

5.0

I genuinely have no words for much this impacted me. It is truly beautifully and completely done. 

My only warning would be to look at any trigger warnings if that's something that would impact you. I personally went in blind, not even knowing what it was about, and did not realize how dark things would be. Vital to talk about, but still potentially triggering nonetheless.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Genocide, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, Racism, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death, Rape, Child death, and Physical abuse