Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Girls Are All So Nice Here by L.E. Flynn

11 reviews

depressionesque's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I have never read a book where I related to the characters less.  This is probably a good thing.  They're all petty, mean-spirited, ugly women determined to bite and gnash and claw out anything that will make them feel just a little less insecure.  They get what they deserve at the end, but the ending is also why I drop it from a five to a three.  It feels a bit like a Saw movie at the end--patting itself on the back for such a good and moral ending while ignoring the monstrosity that it's become.  Certainly not the worst I've ever read, it's fine, but it left a sour taste in my mouth.  I feel like I've been robbed of an actual comeuppance for the hideousness I've spent the last few days reading.  It feels cheap and tawdry, unsatisfying.

I was having a pretty good time up until that point though, so I wouldn't say don't read it.  Just--Maybe be prepared to bring a fix-it fic to the last ten pages or so.  It was so close to being great. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, and Blood

Moderate: Violence, Murder, Mental illness, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, and Rape

Minor: Abortion and Vomit

vennyreads's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Drug use, Blood, Death, and Murder

kirklandprosecco's review

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

3.5 stars

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, and Rape

Minor: Classism

bookishgoob's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

Before the ending, i was thinking this book was gonna be a 4-4.5 star read, but the ending fell so flat for me. 

I loved the exploration of toxic female friendships and the feeling that you’re competing with the group or person that you want to be friends with. The uncomfortable thought of “do i hate this person or do i love them? do i want to be friends? is this an enemy?” Mean girls come in so many different shells, and the fact that Amb couldn’t admit that she was mean is one of the biggest types of mean girls there is. The quote earlier in the book where sully tells amb “flora is a mean girl, she’s a bitch. at least i can own it” felt like a subtle stab at Amb, because amb did the same thing. she hid behind her moral high ground. destroying Flora and her relationships because Flora had something she want. She had to make flora the villain in her fantasy. </ I think it’s really a bad choice to have ambrosia go to jail and have Poppy basically take over her life. it didn’t feel like justice to me. It felt like just another generation of mean girls, where poppy is hiding behind her moral high ground of “she did this to my sister so i’ll do this to her” the last chapter made me angry. Killing off Sully and Kevin and having Amb go to jail made me feel like the author didn’t know really how she wanted to end the story. I also feel like killing Kevin was just Poppy’s way to get rid of him. He was an asshole, sure, but he didn’t have anything to do with Flora’s death. it was completely Sully and Amb. killing Kevin was a vendetta because she never liked him. getting rid of these characters was lazy and honestly boring. Also it wasn’t revealed or clear what actually happened to Flora. Did sully kill her?> 

I was invested in this story and the way the story was told. i’ve come to enjoy dual timelines because it adds so much depth to the story. I enjoyed the story, again, up until the last chapter. it’s a quick read so i do recommend it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body shaming, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Bullying, Car accident, Death, Murder, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness

coles14_'s review

dark tense

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Alcohol, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Murder, Death, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Pregnancy

aineley's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Mental illness

Minor: Rape

lunahbird's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Update:
I can’t stop thinking about this book. Bumped it up to a 4.5

4.25⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 
A story of wanting to be accepted, seen, loved but at what cost? A true mean girls book. Obsession, destruction, lies, guilt, murder, revenge. All things I wasn’t expecting but it sucked me in until the very end.  

It was an interesting and uncomfortable take to be in the POV of one of the mean girls. To be inside her head and thoughts as things spiraled out of control.

I would’ve loved a bit more clarity at the end. But I guess that’s what keeps you thinking about it even after you’ve finished reading it.

I enjoyed it a lot!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

signediza's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

rbookish's review

dark medium-paced

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

3.0

this made no sense for like 80% of the book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

literarymarvel's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I don’t like books that put girls against girls. And I hate psychological and emotional manipulation. And that is literally all this book is: two narcissistic, drugged up, drunk college girls who ruin another girl’s life - all because they can. The four stars for this novel are primarily for the writing. It’s gripping, suspenseful, and leaves you reeling with that ending. But it was a total trauma to read. So if you struggle with any of the trigger content warnings, don’t read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Body shaming, Rape, and Suicidal thoughts