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Purrsistently (46 KP) rated Shadow Child in Books
Jun 21, 2018
Objectively, I feel the book deserves 4 stars, but gr ratings are supposed to be based on your enjoyment, which was a 1 or 2 for me.
I’ve read other books featuring mental illness, the aftermath of atomic bombs, self harm, abuse. I don’t know why I felt so repulsed by this one, but I did. It isn’t a bad book-it’s very good actually, but I hated it.
This was an ARC I received in a giveaway. (Not via goodreads)
I’ve read other books featuring mental illness, the aftermath of atomic bombs, self harm, abuse. I don’t know why I felt so repulsed by this one, but I did. It isn’t a bad book-it’s very good actually, but I hated it.
This was an ARC I received in a giveaway. (Not via goodreads)
Phoebe Bridgers recommended The Body Keeps the Score: Mind, Brain and Body in the Transformation of Trauma in Books (curated)
Sarah (7798 KP) rated Are We All Lemmings and Snowflakes? in Books
Dec 5, 2018
A moving insight into mental health
While it has a fairly fun and playful sounding title, this book is far from being fun and playful. It’s a very interesting but definitely serious take on mental health in teenagers. I’d dare anyone to read this and not find something in common with one of the characters currently residing at Camp Reset. Olive herself is a tormented yet intriguing main character, however she does make for difficult reading at times. As a reader, you can see what’s going on with her even thought she can’t see it herself, and it makes reading quite frustrating, although this is the true reality of mental illness. The book also has a very good message, and almost had me in tears at the end, especially with the letter from the writer Holly Bourne. This is definitely not a feel good story, but definitely one that gets you thinking.
Suswatibasu (1701 KP) rated The Outrun in Books
Sep 23, 2017
An important read, but a little haphazard
Dealing with an addiction is no mean feat, it's an illness as Amy Liptrot explains in this memoir where she battles alcoholism. Some of the incidents are truly horrifying, not because of 'what she does to herself', but more so what the illness does to her and as a result her life spirals downwards. And while that part I can truly engage with, the random long explanations about her newfound passions for astronomy, sea and bird life seems to go off in a tangent.
You can definitely recognise her addictive personality manifesting in new hobbies, and obsessing in the same way. And at least that's healthier, but as a reader, I seemed to lose concentration on her rural lifestyle. Very good insight into mental health and addiction though.
You can definitely recognise her addictive personality manifesting in new hobbies, and obsessing in the same way. And at least that's healthier, but as a reader, I seemed to lose concentration on her rural lifestyle. Very good insight into mental health and addiction though.
Blair Mackay (5 KP) rated Franklyn (2008) in Movies
Aug 1, 2018
Clever, well written, paced well, wrap up is well done. (1 more)
Well written and shot, really draws you into how it all connects ,
Four individuals across time converge, think twelve monkeys, cloud atlas and the fisher king
Contains spoilers, click to show
A sci-fi fantasy that draws you into the world of mental illness, four seemingly unrelated people converge , a suicidal daughter, a jilted lover, a futuristic vigilante and a father seeking his lost son. A fantastically shot film, that will need you seeking the ending, and it won't disappoint.
Ande Thomas (69 KP) rated The Silver Linings Playbook in Books
May 30, 2019
There's a great story in here somewhere (just look at the movie) but unfortunately, for me, it's undercut by the voice of the protagonist. Pat has just been released from an involuntary stay at a mental institution, sure, but mental illness does not equate to mental simplicity. Throughout the entire narration, Pat is portrayed as childlike. His comprehension of the goings-on surrounding his release and recovery is naive, it's cursory, and woefully incomplete. Pat is recovering from a pretty severe psychotic break, and likely suffers from bipolar disorder, neither of which I'd think would cause the stunted mental capacity that he appears to exhibit.
There are flashes of good in there, such as <spoiler>when Pat, (knowing he's been away for years) still refers to his stay in the facility as "just a few months." With firm evidence in hand, his brain simply ignores it.</spoiler>
In many other places though, Pat seems to be written in a way that screams "Look how mentally deranged I am," rather than giving us a more real, grounded recovery from a psychotic episode. I never get the sense of the tortured and confused existence that Pat purports to feel, I just see the caricature he is presented as, and the entire narrative suffers as a result.
There are flashes of good in there, such as <spoiler>when Pat, (knowing he's been away for years) still refers to his stay in the facility as "just a few months." With firm evidence in hand, his brain simply ignores it.</spoiler>
In many other places though, Pat seems to be written in a way that screams "Look how mentally deranged I am," rather than giving us a more real, grounded recovery from a psychotic episode. I never get the sense of the tortured and confused existence that Pat purports to feel, I just see the caricature he is presented as, and the entire narrative suffers as a result.
Mandy Buffington (7 KP) rated What Doesn't Kill You (Twisted #1) in Books
Jan 8, 2019
Great characters (1 more)
Relatable story
Awesome
I was given this book for free by my request but the opinion is of my own. This book literally grabs you literally from the beginning and doesn’t let go. Marley is trying to start anew in college after dealing with bullying because of her seeing things no one else could. Suddenly she is pushed to see that just perhaps what was considered a mental illness is more real than given. Does end in a cliffhanger and I’m definitely wanting to read the rest.
Mothergamer (1511 KP) rated Locke and Key in TV
Nov 17, 2021 (Updated Nov 18, 2021)
Honestly the comic is better with telling the story and the children are more likeable too. It feels like they missed the mark with the show and didn't explain a lot and just kind of throws you in. The kids are so unlikeable with the exception of Tyler and they constantly make foolish decisions. I get that they're kids and kids make mistakes, but it's just constantly one bad decision after another. The adults are completely clueless and it gets so frustrating at points. The different magic keys are interesting, but the show is definitely missing something and it's disappointing that they missed the mark with this because it could have been a lot better. I also feel they did a horrible disservice in regards to mental illness with Sam who has Borderline Personality Disorder adding to the stigma of mental health and using it as a plot point for murder in the story. It is deeply disappointing and for those of us who struggle with our mental health, we deserve better.
Tamsin Clark (15 KP) rated The Cat Lady in Video Games
Jan 26, 2018
Superb Artwork (5 more)
Brilliant soundtrack
Dark, gory and surreal
Interesting puzzle work
Multiple endings
Steam card and achievements
Not enough user interaction sometimes (1 more)
May not be suitable for those in vulnerable mental health states
A dark, twisted journey into mental illness
The Cat Lady really surprised me. The dark, almost minimal, graphics styles led me to believe this wasn't going to be much of a horror game but how wrong I was. This game has a way of sucking you in and chewing you up, then spitting you out as a glob of emotionally affected goop.
The story follows a female protagonist, Susan Ashworth. She's alone and on the verge of suicide, constantly questioning the worth of her existence. After a significant event, she meets an odd woman who sets her on a journey to meet 5 very dark people who may change her outlook on life....for better or worse. Who can she trust, if anyone at all?
I would recommend that if you suffer from mental illness, suicidal thoughts or if you have issues with emotional triggers then you either don't play this or you play with others (unless you know you're in a good place). While the game IS a basic point and click, it still deals with a LOT of mental health issues; some of the scenes were hard even for me, and I consider myself in a good place mentally right now.
Overall I was seriously impressed with this game, it took me 11 hrs to play but that was including distractions and just leaving the game sitting while I did things, so I maybe got about 8 hrs of straight play. Indie horror point and clicks are so rare and this one is an example for the entire genre.
The story follows a female protagonist, Susan Ashworth. She's alone and on the verge of suicide, constantly questioning the worth of her existence. After a significant event, she meets an odd woman who sets her on a journey to meet 5 very dark people who may change her outlook on life....for better or worse. Who can she trust, if anyone at all?
I would recommend that if you suffer from mental illness, suicidal thoughts or if you have issues with emotional triggers then you either don't play this or you play with others (unless you know you're in a good place). While the game IS a basic point and click, it still deals with a LOT of mental health issues; some of the scenes were hard even for me, and I consider myself in a good place mentally right now.
Overall I was seriously impressed with this game, it took me 11 hrs to play but that was including distractions and just leaving the game sitting while I did things, so I maybe got about 8 hrs of straight play. Indie horror point and clicks are so rare and this one is an example for the entire genre.
HerCrazyReviews (247 KP) rated Turtles All The Way Down in Books
Aug 24, 2019
Marketed As A Mystery But It Isn't (2 more)
Unhealthy Friendships
Unsatisfactory Ending
Mental Illness Representation But No Mystery
Contains spoilers, click to show
As a casual fan who has watched a few of John Green’s YouTube videos and read a few books of his, I can honestly say he seems like such a genuinely honest and funny person. Plus, I have read a book or two of his in the past (Example: Paper Towns) and while I did enjoy this book there were quite a few things that made me stray away from a five or even four-star review.
The first thing that I felt was a let down in this novel was the fact that the book was actually not a mystery novel but instead dealt with more of Aza’s own anxiety. While I do love the fact that the book dealt with the topic of anxiety and mental illness in what I felt like was a realistic way I am disappointed that there was not as much mystery. To me, it seemed like the book was marketed around the fact that Aza was trying to solve the mystery of Russell Pickett and where he went. I incorrectly assumed that this novel would be some kind of Scooby-Doo mystery. We did see the characters wonder about Mr. Pickett’s “magical” escape and we did get an ending where everything was wrapped up and solved but it didn’t seem like the characters worked that hard towards it and the book was more about Aza’s own self-realization.
Speaking (or technically typing) about Aza’s struggle with anxiety and mental health I felt like the book did a good job of realistically representing the struggles and many difficulties people experience. I will say that I have personally never had a problem with mental illness and while I do have people I love and care for go through it my experiences are mainly from trying to help them. Therefore, I am not necessarily an accurate source when it comes to the reality of mental illness. I am able to see what my loved ones experience but those are on two different scales.
The simple fact is there is nothing pretty about struggling with mental illness. No matter how hard people try no one is able to always able to stay above the rainbow. Everyone has their bad days and Aza’s experiences, while cringe-worthy in some cases (Ex: digging into her fingernail and swallowing hand sanitizer) is the reality for many people.
While I am pleased by the fact that this book dealt with mental illness and the struggles that come along with it there are a few things that I am disappointed by besides the let down on the mystery front. Overall, the ending was not satisfying. While yes, we were able to see Aza grow and confront the fact that she will always have bad days and good days I felt like certain endings or wrap-ups were not satisfactory. One huge thing I felt strongly about was Aza’s relationships. With Daisy, her best friend, we eventually find out she has been writing about Aza in her fanfiction. But that isn’t the issue. The issue is that Daisy finally exposes her true feelings about her best friend. Turns out Daisy more or less has a lot of bottled up issues resolving Aza and reading Aza’s reaction to this is simply heartbreaking. I also felt that the ending where they simply go back to being friends was not good enough for me. If I found out one of my best friends had been writing hurtful things about me behind my back I would, of course, do what Aza did and confront them but I also do not think I could go back to being friends. Friendships are based on trust and respect for one another and Daisy was not being a true friend.
Now that I have gotten through my thoughts and let downs of the novel there were redeeming qualities. As mentioned above I am a huge fan of representation from several different areas such as mental health as is represented in this novel. This book gave representation to people who on a regular basis may not receive the care they are entitled to or feel like they are alone in the world. This book gives these people ownage and that is a truly beautiful thing. John Green, I believe, wrote this based on his own experiences with anxiety (though obviously, it is not his exact account) and I, therefore, feel like this is a fairly accurate source to read when wondering about the realities of anxiety. Now, I know this book is fiction but I personally feel like it did a great job on that front, which is what I believe John Green was aiming for.
Would I Recommend It?: Maybe. I do enjoy certain aspects of this book such as the amazing representation of mental illness such as OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) and anxiety. Not to mention I truly loved the mentions of fanfiction. However, there were a few bits here and there that made my rating decrease down to three-stars. One of the main things was the fact that the book, from my point of view, appeared to be marketed with the mystery factor and while it was solved the solution was a letdown and the book wasn’t truly focused on the mystery. Plus, Aza’s relationships with her friends seemed to be unhealthy and the last chapter or two of the book did not hold a satisfactory ending for me.
The first thing that I felt was a let down in this novel was the fact that the book was actually not a mystery novel but instead dealt with more of Aza’s own anxiety. While I do love the fact that the book dealt with the topic of anxiety and mental illness in what I felt like was a realistic way I am disappointed that there was not as much mystery. To me, it seemed like the book was marketed around the fact that Aza was trying to solve the mystery of Russell Pickett and where he went. I incorrectly assumed that this novel would be some kind of Scooby-Doo mystery. We did see the characters wonder about Mr. Pickett’s “magical” escape and we did get an ending where everything was wrapped up and solved but it didn’t seem like the characters worked that hard towards it and the book was more about Aza’s own self-realization.
Speaking (or technically typing) about Aza’s struggle with anxiety and mental health I felt like the book did a good job of realistically representing the struggles and many difficulties people experience. I will say that I have personally never had a problem with mental illness and while I do have people I love and care for go through it my experiences are mainly from trying to help them. Therefore, I am not necessarily an accurate source when it comes to the reality of mental illness. I am able to see what my loved ones experience but those are on two different scales.
The simple fact is there is nothing pretty about struggling with mental illness. No matter how hard people try no one is able to always able to stay above the rainbow. Everyone has their bad days and Aza’s experiences, while cringe-worthy in some cases (Ex: digging into her fingernail and swallowing hand sanitizer) is the reality for many people.
While I am pleased by the fact that this book dealt with mental illness and the struggles that come along with it there are a few things that I am disappointed by besides the let down on the mystery front. Overall, the ending was not satisfying. While yes, we were able to see Aza grow and confront the fact that she will always have bad days and good days I felt like certain endings or wrap-ups were not satisfactory. One huge thing I felt strongly about was Aza’s relationships. With Daisy, her best friend, we eventually find out she has been writing about Aza in her fanfiction. But that isn’t the issue. The issue is that Daisy finally exposes her true feelings about her best friend. Turns out Daisy more or less has a lot of bottled up issues resolving Aza and reading Aza’s reaction to this is simply heartbreaking. I also felt that the ending where they simply go back to being friends was not good enough for me. If I found out one of my best friends had been writing hurtful things about me behind my back I would, of course, do what Aza did and confront them but I also do not think I could go back to being friends. Friendships are based on trust and respect for one another and Daisy was not being a true friend.
Now that I have gotten through my thoughts and let downs of the novel there were redeeming qualities. As mentioned above I am a huge fan of representation from several different areas such as mental health as is represented in this novel. This book gave representation to people who on a regular basis may not receive the care they are entitled to or feel like they are alone in the world. This book gives these people ownage and that is a truly beautiful thing. John Green, I believe, wrote this based on his own experiences with anxiety (though obviously, it is not his exact account) and I, therefore, feel like this is a fairly accurate source to read when wondering about the realities of anxiety. Now, I know this book is fiction but I personally feel like it did a great job on that front, which is what I believe John Green was aiming for.
Would I Recommend It?: Maybe. I do enjoy certain aspects of this book such as the amazing representation of mental illness such as OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) and anxiety. Not to mention I truly loved the mentions of fanfiction. However, there were a few bits here and there that made my rating decrease down to three-stars. One of the main things was the fact that the book, from my point of view, appeared to be marketed with the mystery factor and while it was solved the solution was a letdown and the book wasn’t truly focused on the mystery. Plus, Aza’s relationships with her friends seemed to be unhealthy and the last chapter or two of the book did not hold a satisfactory ending for me.