Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Blood Over Bright Haven by M.L. Wang

57 reviews

bron01's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Death, Genocide, Hate crime, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Murder, Sexual harassment, Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Colonisation, Deportation

bezarue's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Ugh I feel sick. This book, man. The best fantasy says something about the world we live in (and this said so much, so poignantly, the examination of how you can be oppressed under one system and oppressor in another, plus the magic system was just sick as hell), but I didn't expect it to say something about me specifically. What's an autistic ambitious Capricorn to do, bruh? This book felt like it took me by all my innards, grabbed my chin, forced me to look into the eyes of God and then cast me back to dirt.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Murder

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Religious bigotry

Minor: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Self harm, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Injury/Injury detail

strormer's review against another edition

4.75

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Misogyny, Racism, Grief, Colonisation, Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting

jamieintherain's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Deportation

simsplayer30's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Genocide, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Sexual assault

This is a heavy book that draws an allegory between the book universe and the real world.

brittbrockers's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Seeing this book recommended all over social media, I was dubious. I've been burnt before by people being swept into a tizzy by a book that doesn't stack up. But this? This more than stacks up. 

A wonderfully weird magic system, a powerful and direct exploration of class, religion, racism, societal hierarchies, and also a book with well written characters. Loved it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, Violence

Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide attempt

lanyamkelly's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad 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

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explores themes of power, privilege, sexism and oppression. overall, such a crazy story!! i loved getting to know sciona and thomil sooo much. Bright Haven has so much blood and heavy secrets in their closet. Sciona, although shes very egoistical and selfish, she really finds her truest self in the pursuit of truth and honesty. She continuously challenges the status quo and perfectly encapsulates female rage as she navigates a male driven world (so real queen & #womeninstem). Cannot wait to read more from ML Wang

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Racism, Sexism

Moderate: Animal death, Violence, Blood, Religious bigotry, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Cannibalism, Alcohol

daisy2050's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Does intent or impact matter more? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Genocide, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Police brutality, Murder, Colonisation, Classism

Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Religious bigotry

Minor: Animal death, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment

happyknitter2020's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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A stunning fantasy book with deeper meanings, reflects on politics, power and exploitate of those without power.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail

louhitar's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional hopeful sad tense 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

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I loved this book. It was incredibly well thought out at every turn, the characters were compelling, it covered strong themes of oppression on multiple fronts in an intelligent and creative way.

I loved the core themes of overcoming a system designed to oppress others based on race, gender, and class, as well as the more subtle details like the magic system working a lot like programming. Major spoilers:

the direct siphoning of life to fuel industry was a great analogy for the way the real world works, all the comforts we have being at the cost of other people... But the book also highlighted the indirect way the lives of those deemed "lower" than the ruling class are sacrificed for the sake of progress and comfort.

Easily my top read of the year so far.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

Moderate: Confinement

Minor: Bullying, Cannibalism