Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman

25 reviews

themirrorball's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

for the first 150 or so pages of this book i could not get into it. i didn’t understand what was going on with the fantasy worlds (miamas, etc.) and it almost seemed like it was trying too hard to be quirky, which was a lot considering i love this author’s writing. but halfway through it really picked up and i began to fall in love with the characters and become interested in where they were going. the way the fairytale kingdoms tie in with the real world is insanely creative and interesting to read about. while i did find the plot towards the end a little predictable, i didn’t mind because the story seemed to be focusing more on characters anyway. once i got past 200 pages, i couldn’t put this book down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, and Animal death

Moderate: Alcoholism and Cancer

Minor: Physical abuse, Mental illness, and Domestic abuse

madisonfrank's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, War, Animal death, Grief, Death, Pregnancy, Blood, Bullying, Cancer, Domestic abuse, and Stalking

Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Death of parent, Grief, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Stalking, Violence, War, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Animal death, Cancer, Child death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, and Physical abuse

dlrosebyh's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-paced

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

3.75

Elsa is unique and seven years old. Her grandma is crazy—as in, standing on the balcony and shooing strangers with paintball guns—at the age of 77. Additionally, she is Elsa's one and only friend. In the Land-of-Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas, where everyone is unique and nobody needs to fit in, Elsa seeks solace in her grandmother's tales at night. 

Elsa's biggest journey starts when her grandma passes away and leaves behind a collection of letters in which she expresses her regret to those she has mistreated. The directions given by her grandmother take her to an apartment complex filled with monsters, drunks, attack dogs, and elderly ladies, but they also reveal the truth about fairy tales and kingdoms and introduce her to a grandma unlike any other.

I adore Fredrik Backman's writing style. I adore how he brings the intricacy of his characters to life in his writings. I really like the plot and the characters in this book, but one thing really got on my nerves: how frequently Harry Potter references were made. I understand that Elsa is young and that she should enjoy Harry Potter; she is free to act anyway she pleases. However, I don't want to read about Elsa being so enraged when someone hasn't read the books or seen the movies. I also don't want to read every two pages about the Gryffindor scarf. But aside from that, I think the book is both interesting and informative.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Death

Moderate: Cancer, Mental illness, and Violence

Minor: Alcoholism and Domestic abuse

theonlybaillie's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Mental illness, and Pregnancy

Minor: Blood, Violence, Stalking, Physical abuse, Medical content, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Terminal illness, and Alcohol

deepcurvesahead's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Bullying, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, War, Violence, Addiction, Stalking, and Gun violence

Minor: Pregnancy, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Alcohol, and Cancer

lindseyhall44's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

I think I cried through the entirety of this book. Some were joyful tears, some were heartbreaking tears, and some were ‘oh my gosh this is some of the best writing I have ever read’ tears. “My Grandmother asked me to tell you she’s sorry” follows seven year old Elsa on her journey to cope with grief, but also her journey as she heals, creates meaningful bonds, and most importantly of all, savors an unconditional love for stories. Just like Elsa, this book is different in the best ways, a beautiful exploration of dreamers and believers. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Stalking, Terminal illness, and Vomit

Moderate: Infidelity, Kidnapping, and Toxic relationship

grizzlysnack's review against another edition

adventurous emotional lighthearted medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Cancer, Mental illness, and Violence

Minor: Child death, Alcoholism, and Car accident

alessandravaron's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Grief, and War

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Child death, Stalking, War, Pregnancy, and Mental illness

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Medical content, and Sexism

hilwithonel's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

I don't recommend listening to the audio version while grocery shopping unless you like crying in public.

In true Fredrik Backman fashion, this book gives you a group of characters to love, laugh with, cry with, and watch grow. The story is told through the eyes of an 8 year old girl who loves Harry Potter and fairy tales adding a magical quality. The story was compelling. Each character more special than the next. Each characters storyline intertwined with the others allowing for an interesting, emotional story. If you love Fredrik Backman, I highly recommend.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, and Mental illness

Minor: Alcoholism, Violence, and Domestic abuse

katiej's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I absolutely adored this! I loved every single character and all their unique flaws and how the all fitted together so perfectly. This has the perfect balance of laughter and sadness and really makes you think about family and friends and how we should all treat each other because you never really know what’s going on with someone behind closed doors!! Fredrick Backman has easily become a firm favourite of mine. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Grief, and War

Moderate: Addiction and Mental illness