Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Middlegame by Seanan McGuire

4 reviews

cady_sass's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

Wow. I’m going to need anywhere from 7-240 business days to wrap my mind around this one. There is simply nothing else like this… I am so envious of Seanan McGuire’s mind and the way that it works. How do you even come up with this?! 

This is weird level 1000 so if you don’t care for nonsense and pseudoscience then just steer clear. If you’re down for melting your brain, this is the one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gaslighting, Medical content, Abandonment, Bullying, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Murder, Stalking, Suicide, Blood, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Violence, Gun violence, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness

dulceserenidad's review

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Child abuse and Child death

Minor: Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death of parent

rebeccaxpaige's review against another edition

adventurous dark informative reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Violence, Gun violence, Murder, Cursing, and Self harm

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicide attempt

sheerpoetry's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This book destroyed me. I put off reading it for a good while because of the size. And then it took me so long (well, for one of Seanan's books, at least) because I had to keep stopping and do breathing exercises and recover enough to keep going.

It was amazing. I was thoroughly stressed out for most of it, but was so glad I kept going and finished it. It was definitely an experience and not just a book. I have no idea what we can expect from the sequel, but I am both terrified and excited.

[I will say, as a person with depression, that this book hurt at times. And I personally found Dodger's suicide attempt fairly graphic, even though it didn't depict the actual act from her point of view. But the descriptions of her feelings and reactions to being tired and left and lonely are so incredibly real and accurate. I cried. A lot. 

I will also say I was (pleasantly) surprised that it didn't just end with "and they lived."

 

It was absolutely a wild ride and I was stressed beyond belief reading it, but I'm so glad I did. It was worth it, in the end. (Not that I doubted it!) And, as always, Seanan keeps you guessing. Just when you think you may have figured out something, it takes a turn. Like I said, a WILD, emotional, beautiful ride.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Blood

Moderate: Self harm, Suicide, Torture, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders