Reviews with content warning for Panic attacks/disorders - Starfish

Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

bloodmaarked's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

3.0

a cute book but way too heavy-handed with its themes for my liking

✧ full review on my tumblr ✧

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writeronherway's review

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challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

Content Warnings

amazelan's review against another edition

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emotional sad slow-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? It's complicated

3.0

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izzythebells's review

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dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.0

Found this story inspiring and really connected to the character and the story. Highly recommend.

Content Warnings

mswarning's review

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dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

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rose_play's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

I’m the same amount of Asian as I am white. Why doesn’t anyone ever call me half white? It’s confusing. I wonder if it will always be confusing

It was going well till 70% but then the pacing took a downturn, so many juvenile plot points were added just for the sake shock effect. It was a melancholy read.
Some things were handled so well and then some, very serious, stuff was just glossed over

I thought nobody understood the way he was. I thought I was the problem. But some people are just starfish—they need everyone to fill the roles that they assign. They need the world to sit around them, pointing at them and validating their feelings. But you can’t spend your life trying to make a starfish happy, because no matter what you do, it will never be enough. They will always find a way to make themselves the center of attention, because it’s the only way they know how to live.”

I just didn't understand the need for romantic subplot and why was it even done in the first place. I didn't feel the chemistry or even the reason they were together, it'd have been so much better with them staying friends.

Every time I talk to her it feels like I’m taking a test. Most of the time I fail before I even open my mouth.

It was such an anticipated read tho, I'm very disappointed by how certain things were handled cause I loved the Asian rep ( even tho Asian doesn't always mean shall eyes and round nose for crying out loud, South Asia exists) even then the struggle of identity and heritage while in a toxic household was set up so well but alas, the ending ruined it for me. No this is not a spoiler it's tw so here you go.... The abuser is never punished, nor was he even fucking confronted. Her mental health was represented so well, but her mother's was brushed off and honestly was poorly written.

I’m half Asian, a girl, and I believe in aliens. Pretty much every lifetime before mine would have sucked for me.”

The main character was so passive tho, in whole book she made one active decision for herself, just one. I know it was hard but damn, should've given her more agency at least in the last chapters

It always seems like the only way to keep everyone else happy is to do something that makes me unhappy. I don’t know how to grow out of that.”

Also I didn't like the theme of the book of how everything she drew came from a bad place even after moving away. I know and I have myself expressed emotions through art and writing but if ALL of that comes from a bad place, how are you ever gonna escape if you are doing this all for escapism. What happens when you are in a good place in life. Shouldn't that zeal to create come from where you really want it.

If you crave a sad and tense read you could give it a shot.

I wish I could turn to dust and disintegrate into the dark air like I don’t exist at all. It would be easier that way.

Also there's a Taylor swift reference you all!!

I could never take photographs the way Jamie does. He captures strangers like he’s invisible. And he sees the best possible version of them—it’s the way I imagine things in my head, but the only way I can make it real is to paint it. To me, ideals don’t exist in real life. I have to make them up.But Jamie sees them everywhere. Imperfection is his ideal, because it’s real and tangible, and he knows how to translate it into a frozen moment in time that will be beautiful forever.

The writing is beautiful.

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katjoyphil's review

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-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? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

ravensandlace's review

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dark emotional inspiring sad 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

Find this review and others like it at https://aravenclawlibraryx.wordpress.com

I have started and restarted this review at least four different times. I really struggled to put into words what this book means to me. It’s up there with Turtles All the Way Down and Under Rose Tainted Skies. This book means a lot to me and I will try my best to put into words why this book is so important to me.

Let’s start with Kiko, the main character. I identified with her so much that it felt like I was reading about me. She has anxiety and social anxiety, just like me. She struggles to form healthy relationships with her peers and that’s partially due to her mother. The way her mother treats her is abusive and it broke my heart. Because of this Kiko latches on quickly to anyone who shows her slight kindness because she doesn’t know kindness at home.

While I know kindness at home, I struggle with anxiety and making lasting friendships. I tend to only really talk to people when they first talk to me. I find it hard to keep conversation going so I often only talk to people for a few minutes because I get exhausted and just stop replying. It’s not that I don’t want to talk to people, it’s just draining for me. I only have a few friends because of this.

Like I mentioned above, Kiko’s mother is abusive and because of this, it makes the book hard to read. I truly hated her mom and the way she treated Kiko. I didn’t like that the abuse was blamed on some sort of undiagnosed mental illness. People can be monsters and not have a mental illness. I wish it would have been just that. Regardless, take caution when reading this book as the scenes of emotional abuse are constant and heartbreaking.

Overall, this book was amazing. It’s my first 5 (five) star book of 2021 and I hope that bodes well for all future books. I hope everyone takes the time to read this book because it’s message is so very important. Just make sure you are in the right headspace as this book has topics of abuse and sexual assault that are hard to read at times.

Content Warnings