Reviews with content warning for Panic attacks/disorders - Sorrow and Bliss

Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

25 reviews

nzmerchant's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.25

I love that for once, mental illness was not romanticised or glamorised. This book cast a very real and raw depiction of life with someone who has a mental illness. It was a tough read especially watching Martha’s outburst and how she was self destructive in some instances. But it sent a very important message about how people with mental illness are not condemned to a life of being alone and unloved. I think ultimately what helped Martha

in addition to her finally accurate diagnosis was the harsh reality presented by her family members. And her ability to take her ego down a notch and make amends.

For that I really respect her as a character and feel inspired.

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bookaholiz's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

This novel took so long to finish but whenever I actually sat down with it I could not put it down. It is so depressingly and spectacularly human, and ironically enough I always read it when I was in public, and had to hold back tears every single time.

Some books are hard to describe with words. But Sorrow and Bliss put me through all the range of emotions in the span of a few pages, and Martha is surely one of the most memorable protagonists I’ve ever read. She is flawed and complicated and compelling, she made you frustrated and hopeless and sympathized and angry and sad with her.

I’m not sure I agree with every message in this book, but it is such a personal narrative that I cannot dispute it either. I especially like the personal touch of not including the actual diagnosis in the book to show that it does not matter what it is, it is valid and you deserve to treat it with the same respect.

Anyway, I just inexplicably adore a sad book that managed to convince you why it has to be so damn sad.

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teigancollins's review against another edition

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challenging emotional sad medium-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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radfordmanor's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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eeviee's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

This is the kind of book you read to remind you of how much you love reading. The kind that you revisit from time to time and still feel gutted by. That one book you read at different stages of your life and find yourself identifying with another character you were least likely to feel any affinity with. It is a character study of a deeply flawed woman in an equally flawed relationship, and how she comes to mend herself in more ways than one.

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callmeamelia's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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bookish_daph's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny 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? Yes

5.0

I can’t quite put into words how much I enjoyed this book. An all time favorite. The entire time I was reading a movie played in my head and I just sat back and watched these characters. If you are looking for an accurate portrayal of mental health in a book; this is it. One of the things I also loved is how the main characters perspective on things especially her relationships with her family is shown to the reader when she’s younger and morphs with the story as you read along. There was no point that I wanted to put the book down. One second your heart strings are being pulled the next you are laughing, then you are angry. Such a range of emotions. I’m already looking to read the rest of Meg Masons’ works because this writing and story telling is the reason I love reading so much.

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