Reviews tagging 'Blood'

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

6 reviews

ashleyjean6's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

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

5.0

This is a difficult read that is also potentially extremely triggering. It is about a fictitious mental illness, but it's effects are very real and raw. If that sounds like it would not make for 5 star fiction, it does. Although bleak it is not without hope and it is absolutely gorgeously written! The audiobook is also beautifully narrated. Highly recommend! Definitely a top book this year, maybe period. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Grief, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Classism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Alcohol, Racism, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

maisiebrowne1's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Alcoholism, and Blood

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Miscarriage

Minor: Abortion

fluffy1st's review against another edition

challenging dark funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Medical content, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, and Addiction

Minor: Abortion and Blood

edgaranjapoe's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Violence, Domestic abuse, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Medical content

Minor: Cursing, Medical trauma, Self harm, Cancer, Death of parent, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Car accident, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Grief, and Abortion

writtenontheflyleaves's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

5.0

 Sorrow & Bliss by Meg Mason 💊
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

💊 The plot: When Martha was a teenager, a bomb went off in her brain and she hasn't felt the same since. No one knows exactly what is wrong with her, but her husband Patrick says the main thing is just that she keeps going. When she finally gets an answer, it might be too late for her to have the only thing she's ever truly wanted.

This was a purchase motivated by my enduring love for @mostardentlyalice and my deep trust in her recommendations. It did not remotely disappoint. I laughed, I cried - frequently at the same time or on the same pages - and knew long before finishing it would be one of my favourite reads of this year.

Family is at the core of this novel and, for me, it's the truest depiction I've ever read of the fallout that severe mental illness can have, not just on the life of the person experiencing it, but on the lives of the people that love them.

Through Martha's journey of intense isolation, Mason interrogates the idea of mental illness as being something you go through alone, and explores with more nuance than I thought possible, really, what compassion looks like in the marathon journey of caring for each other over a lifetime. The moments of silent acceptance, the moments of challenge. How cruel deep depression can sometimes make you; how this doesn't make you any less worthy of humanity. How love is both a choice and not a choice at all. That you can hold the contradictions in both hands at once and they do not have to invalidate each other.

💊 Read it if you love Fleabag, soft fictional fathers, strong sisterly bonds, witty narrators who feel sharply real, or love stories that aren't capital-R romances. Also if you or someone you love has struggled with mental health issues this has the potential to be a deeply validating read.

🚫 Check trigger warnings before reading but especially avoid if you're in a sensitive place around depictions of depression and suicide.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Blood, Miscarriage, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Abortion

waybeyondblue's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful lighthearted 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Blood, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, and Miscarriage

Minor: Vomit