Reviews tagging 'Medical content'

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

12 reviews

megh_'s review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness

Moderate: Alcoholism and Miscarriage

m_corsano's review

funny hopeful 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

4.0

I adored this book. The writing style is so intimate and precise that is almost read like someone’s (my own?) diary. It is the most accurate and sympathetic depiction of living with mental illness or having someone in your life with mental illness I’ve ever come across.  This is a book I will think about for a long time. It changed me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical content

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, and Miscarriage

heathergeorge's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, and Addiction

Moderate: Drug use and Abortion

Minor: Medical content and Cursing

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

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Miscarriage

bookaholiz's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief

Minor: Abortion and Miscarriage

agiali's review against another edition

emotional funny medium-paced

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

3.0

☼ 177/108

Although this book had many dog-ear moments and a VERYYY strong beginning, middle, and end, it just didn’t do for me what it did for others and that’s okay :)

Still a very good book that I recommend for sure!!! I would say the writing reminds me a bit of Ottessa Moshfegh meets Sally Rooney.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Medical content

Minor: Drug use and Miscarriage

phoevincent's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful sad fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Chronic illness

Moderate: Pregnancy, Abandonment, Miscarriage, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Infidelity and Medical content

bryelle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring reflective 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

4.0

This book is a really great but hard read. The main character is going through a mental health journey and in turn hurts a lot of people she loves. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Grief, and Death of parent