Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

21 reviews

pookiee's review against another edition

adventurous tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

the first YA and fantasy book i’ve enjoyed in a loooong time.

the magic system being like TCG/cards is so unique and gives me life! def the best part of the book. and the Nightmare is like Venom.

i really like how abandonment and finding a family elsewhere are portrayed. the romance is typical but nice.

this was going to be a 5! but the book drags in the last part and doesn’t conclude, just sets up a sequel—which makes me not want to read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Blood, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Torture

Minor: Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Vomit

fromjuliereads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I loved this book. It pulled me in very quickly to the world and the story, and I liked how dark and unique it is. The magic isn't like magic systems I've encountered before. This was the second card magic book I've read and I'm learning that's a magic I quite enjoy! The addition of the folklore and stories was fantastic. And the characters? I love them. All of them. They are morally grey and complex and interesting. I cannot wait to read the sequel with that ending!!! Some very good twists.

Definitely recommend for people who like darker fantasy with interesting magic and some romance. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore, Blood, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Murder, and Death

Minor: Death of parent, Misogyny, Abandonment, and Sexual content

kirstenf's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Grief, Child death, Murder, Violence, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Death

Minor: Emotional abuse and Alcohol

naomi_k's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Blood, Mental illness, Torture, Terminal illness, and Death

Moderate: Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Body horror

Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, and Death of parent

eviethebookworm's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Elspeth is a haunted character being played by forces out of her control in this dark and gothic novel. 
There’s fake courtship, there’s forbidden magic, and there’s twisting lore. Rachel Gillig has been able to balance the morbid and eerie with bursts of emotion that bring characters to life on the page. Also, there’s a grumpy 500-year-old monster in the mix. What’s not to love? 

If you enjoy authors like V. E. Schwab (A Darker Shade of Magic), Vanessa Len (Only a Monster), and Kristin Cashore (Graceling), you’ve found a new name to add to the collection of favourites.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Animal death, and Panic attacks/disorders

bettysbookishworld's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Blood, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Hate crime

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Death, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Mental illness

asipofcozy's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

3.75

This was a really enjoyable read. I loved the unique magic system with the cards, it reminded me of tarot cards but with magic and consequences of using said magical cards. I loved how, while this is depicted as "YA", we get that deeper insight into the magic system that we normally wouldn't get and how focused the plot was on the cards, the sickness, and the world. 

However, that being said, I don't really have many strong feelings on the book. I neither love nor hate it. I was more invested in the magic than I was the characters. The magic was unique the characters not as much. They definitely followed the typical YA character arch, along with the romance. Don't get me wrong there was good character development and even secondary characters seemed fleshed out. However, there was nothing special or unique about them. 

The romance also seemed to follow the same YA fantasy romance pattern - instant attraction, tension/lust, confession, and angst. 

One other thing, this is published as YA and it read as new adult/adult - especially with the s*x scene, gore, and other dark themes. Granted we get an above the bed version (feelings more than details). While I am all for lusty content in books and think that we shouldn't gatekeep romances/ s*x in YA. I do think that publishers need to start publishing books, like this one, in a New Adult category because many of these newer YA fall there and not with YA. That's just a personal thought.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual content, Murder, Blood, and Violence

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic and Mental illness

nobosmomma's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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

This book is an addictive, fast-paced fantasy. There is a little romance undertone, but it is mostly focused on the MCs saving the world they live in. The riddles & snippets of the past we see are well thought out, and the cliffhanger ending will leave you breathless. Beautiful debut novel. 
Warning for people who are triggered by mental health or “voices in your head”. This book does contain those themes. There is also descriptive violence, swearing, and mildly descriptive sexual language. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Mental illness

Minor: Sexual content

missgarceau's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

What a horribly cruel cliffhanger ending!!!

I recommend waiting until the series is complete tbh.

The magic system is fascinating & the lore is intriguing. It’s like a dark and twisted fairytale full of riddles & rhymes. An epic quest full of shock & horror and a sprinkle of slow-burn romance.

It’s not FTB but the spice is mild. 

Idk if this is categorized as a romance, but unless there’s an HEA- I might trash it in my fury & rage! I am REELING after that ending!! Toddler tantrum level 3000!!!

Caveat emptor. Buyer beware. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Sexual content, Abandonment, Body horror, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Violence, Vomit, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Torture, and Toxic relationship

lbelow's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Torture, Terminal illness, and Gore

Moderate: Sexual content, Mental illness, Cursing, Death, Body horror, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Child abuse

One scene in this book has a villainous character magically drugging the protagonist's wine for the purpose of taking advantage of her (not sexually). Maiming (disabling, specifically of the legs) is considered just recompense by one (somewhat) villainous character toward another villainous character.