Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

The Daydreams by Laura Hankin

6 reviews

unlikelyplaces's review against another edition

4.75

🌿 The Daydreams - Laura Hankin🌿 

⭐️ - 4.75 

🎧 

Ok so just to caveat this, a lot of the reviews for this book are not that great so maybe take this with a pinch of salt but I really loved this book. 

I have been in such a reading slump for the past couple of months really but I literally listened to this whole audiobook in two days (which is extremely fast for me). I found this so addictive, I couldn’t put it down. 

The Daydreams follows the cast of a 2000’s teen show as they return for a reunion years later. It is clearly inspired by the stories of Disney/Nickelodeon child stars that have come out in recent years. To me, this story is primarily an exploration of the way that these stars (particularly the young women) are treated by the media. It does touch on other themes but that was definitely the one that stood out to me. 

It did a really great job of making me constantly question how I felt about each of the characters which I think was intentional. And as I said, I literally just couldn’t stop listening to this. There was one aspect of the ending of this that I’m not sure I liked but that didn’t ruin the book for me. 

I think I was just in exactly the right mood for this right now and now I’m at a bit of a loss of what audiobook to read next. 

‼️Content warnings: predatory men, body image issues, eating disorder, addiction, parent death

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment and Death of parent

Moderate: Eating disorder, Addiction, and Body shaming

dev921's review

emotional reflective tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Cursing, Alcohol, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Infertility, Stalking, Drug use, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity

savyelizabeth's review

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Racism, Sexual harassment, Drug use, and Eating disorder

pallasreads's review against another edition

emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The Daydreams is an insightful examination of how networks, fans and the media treated young female stars in the early 2000s. Hankin calls on memories of Britney, Lindsay Lohan, and Miley Cyrus, while still creating original scandals and disasters for her three protagonists to deal with. Paired with memoirs like Jeanette McCurdy’s, The Daydreams examines all the double standards young starlets are held to, and the audience’s complicity in destroying their lives for our own entertainment. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Drug abuse, Sexism, Drug use, and Sexual content

Moderate: Racism, Xenophobia, Eating disorder, and Death of parent

Minor: Homophobia

oliviaja's review

emotional funny fast-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

4.75

The perfect summer read!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Drug use, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Racism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Car accident, Eating disorder, Grief, Infidelity, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Classism, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Sexual assault, and Sexism

goldenbeebookshop's review

medium-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

4.0

I really enjoyed Hankin’s previous two books so I was thrilled to get a DRC of her latest.
I didn’t watch the kind of Disney channel shows and movies that inspired the fictional show in this novel, but since I also didn’t live under a rock (just a very pro-PBSs house without cable) I’m aware of the cultural phenomenon and fan base around them. Moreover, I’m aware of what being asked to maintain the patriarchal standards imposed by the network and its viewers does to many of the young female stars. This novel has a little bit of everything- teenage drama, a dash of mystery, reclaiming personal narratives, social commentary, and an unexpectedly hopeful ending.
I was in a reading slump before I decided to jump into this book and it just whisked me along. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism, Addiction, Body shaming, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual harassment, Fatphobia, and Toxic friendship