Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Death of a Bookseller by Alice Slater

9 reviews

elgin's review

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Addiction

Moderate: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Dysphoria, and Bullying

Minor: Mass/school shootings, Violence, Excrement, Infidelity, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Vomit, Cursing, Animal cruelty, Blood, Murder, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Mental illness

beth_s98's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.5

Honestly, this book wasn’t for me, and I only finished it partially out of spite. I hated Roach,

and while I think that’s kind of the point, I struggled to get through her chapters.

I liked Lauren, and a lot of the other characters were interesting.

I hate in the end that Lauren doesn’t get true peace, and we are left with Roach walking back into her life.

There were just so many moments that I felt were either unnecessary or just beyond plausibility. I don’t think the writing was bad, but I was not a fan of the story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Murder, Alcohol, Death of parent, Stalking, Sexual content, Violence, Addiction, and Alcoholism

Minor: Mass/school shootings

thebookcident's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I don't often read crime/ thrillers, but I really enjoyed this one. The switching POV helped give me a needed break from each character and added to the tension. I think Slater had done a great job of creating two distinct voices for each character, that each leaves the reader feeling a certain way. Both of the protagonists are heavily flawed and I would say unlikeable, which I quite liked. I don't need to like a character to want to read them. 
I found lots of visually evoking imagery was used that rinsed my pallet from the darker themes in this novel. 
Also, Slater really captures the feeling of being a retail working over the Xmas period PERFECTLY. 😅
Would recommend as a summer read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Blood, Death, Grief, Rape, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

thenovelbookshelf's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

5.0

This is a psychological, slow burn thriller that will leave you shaking and looking over your shoulder at some of your own colleagues.
  
Roach works at Spines and is more than obsessed with true crime, where the killers are more fun to think about than the actual victims.
  
When Laura joins the bookstore, Roach feels like there is a special bond between them. First, when Laura performs her dark poem at a recital, which Roach obsesses over. Next, when a drunken Laura openly admits her mother was killed, which spurs Roach into a dark plan with her goth rock boyfriend. 
  
We follow Roach down that dark path, ensuring Laura knows how special their friendship is until lines are crossed.
  
This is a novel so well written that it could be true, a scenario so lifelike and characters that you can find in any workplace, all combined with a story that will leave you spooked.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, and Stalking

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, and Animal death

Minor: Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders

late_nite_reads's review

dark tense slow-paced

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

3.0

Not bad. But it was too long and was a character driven narrative rather than plot driven.  The characters were spelled out clearly therefore the book became very monotonous and repetitive The themes of the book were stretched out for so long that by the epilogues I was just left feeling meh.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Grief, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders

norwegianforestreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Murder, Stalking, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Vomit, Blood, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Animal cruelty

monnibo's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Death, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content

Minor: Drug use, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Police brutality, and Gore

itsalina's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Stalking

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Vomit, Bullying, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Addiction, Death, Grief, Cursing, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence

matilda_holroyd_'s review against another edition

dark informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

This book was a great app sensation of the duality of sensationalising true crime war. I really enjoyed this, and the split point of view from arranged fan, true crime to the daughter of the victim of a serial killer. I thought showing the two ends of the spectrum, and the kind of people get thrown into a case was really important, because with more documentaries and books, coming out, trying to immortalise the crimes of the killer, the people who were truly affected by their acts are often forgotten a footnote in the killers story. This story seeks to change that, and I thought that this was really a great book and would recommend anyone who is interested in learning of the dangers of obsession within the true crime community and how lines are often blurred between feeling as though you are owed, the facts versus the realities of people that it is affecting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Alcoholism, and Death of parent