Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Women Talking by Miriam Toews

12 reviews

alyssa2012's review

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Misogyny, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Slavery, Incest, Infidelity, and Self harm

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Fire/Fire injury

maxgold's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I want to note that the characters are not diverse in the sense they are all Mennonite (presumably white or at least all the same race) women. But they’re diverse in the sense of views and personalities. Meaning incredibly diverse in those sense. The author really does an incredible job at showing how not all people in a religious cult are going to think in the same way. Their motives are all similar, yet their drive is very diverse. Their reactions are diverse. It really dirigés the book I think.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy

Minor: Transphobia, Suicide, and Death

cerys_ah's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective tense fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Sexual violence, and Rape

Moderate: Child death, Suicide, and Death of parent

Minor: Domestic abuse, Self harm, Pregnancy, and Panic attacks/disorders

lk3ssaf's review

3.25

The book was short and easy to read. It was sad, and depressing at times, but the author chose a hopeful ending.

We never learn what happens to the women, or how the men at the cult react, and that might be for the best.

I didn't learn that the story was based on real crimes that took place against Mennonite women until after I had read the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Suicide, Child abuse, Rape, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Death of parent

cait's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Classism, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Dementia, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Abandonment, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Death of parent, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Miscarriage

Minor: Alcohol and Alcoholism

madelinequinne's review

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Violence, Alcohol, and Child abuse

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Suicidal thoughts

sydapel's review

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

 For me, this is an issue of form rather than subject matter. Perhaps because I was reading this knowing it would become a movie, but I struggled heavily with how limited this feels textually, particularly as it's through a male perspective. Which I know is part of the point, and I would have fun arguing about that in an English classroom. 

If you're looking for an really profound philosophical debate about faith, forgiveness, guilt, anger and difficult choices that women living in deeply patriarchal societies face, this excels. It's hard to digest, especially knowing it's based on reality, so please do check trigger warnings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Rape, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, and Suicide

Moderate: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Death, and Miscarriage

Minor: Excrement and Blood

kimveach's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.75

This is a weird little book.  It really is about women talking during a two-day meeting.  I found it strangely compelling, though.  I can't decide if I want to see the movie or not.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Violence, Child abuse, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Rape, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Grief, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Self harm

lisesenb's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Confinement, Alcohol, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Self harm, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Grief, Dementia, Deadnaming, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Incest, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Violence, Child abuse, Cursing, and Sexual content

kateleos's review

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

Basically a one-day read, after seeing the movie last weekend. There were things I thought the movie did better - I didn't need the Koop boys and am glad Sarah Polley excised them - but I loved learning more about August. I don't think I needed his inner life in the film (and I'm grateful for Autje's voiceover), but I'm glad I got it this way. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Grief, Incest, Pregnancy, Violence, Child abuse, Death of parent, and Physical abuse

The content warnings seem very intense, but the violence is shared sparingly and without detail.