Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

11 reviews

egganimates's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, and War

nurr's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Police brutality, Medical content, and Colonisation

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Domestic abuse, Infertility, and Mental illness

ems_bean's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror

Minor: Homophobia and Vomit

jenna_justi2004's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This was the hardest book to read. It’s up there with 1984 and brave new world. Generally of worlds, I hope don’t become reality. I understand the message and it doesn’t make it any better. It’s actually so sad and essentially avoidable which is horrific. If you enjoy dystopian this is for you but this book genuinely made me sick at some points. Graphic accounts of CP and trafficking. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

startjpw23's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This story is set in a not distant future and is told in 3rd person POV by Snowman (aka his given name Jimmy). There are only 2 other main characters (Crake and Oryx). When the story starts, Snowman is trying to survive after an event took place that appears to have ended civilization. The story alternates between the present and Snowman's life as Jimmy from before the event. It starts in his youth and moves forward to various points in his life before the event. Early on, it is apparent that the society Jimmy grew up in was scientifically advanced, but morally bankrupt. The relationship between Jimmy, Crake, and Oryx is gradually revealed as are the circumstances that led up to the event. This is a really good dystopian novel. I found it very believable as a possible (very scary) future. I didn't really like Jimmy or Crake very much. I liked Oryx more. Despite not liking Jimmy, I still found the story compelling. The story is very disturbing at points. Some children are treated very badly. There are brutal security forces. There are no ethics to the science being done. To many of the scientists, people and animals are viewed the same as lab rats. Corporations run things and profits are all no matter who is hurt. Society is very stratified. This is not a happy book. The book is very well plotted and written. Margaret Atwood only writes the minimum details of the most disturbing scenes so that the reader understands what is going on without being unnecessarily graphic. The only reason I rated the book a little below 5 stars is I didn't feel the ending was very good. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a really good dystopian novel. If the issues I mentioned are things that concern you, you may want to avoid the book. Or at least look at content warnings. Be aware that this is book 1 of 3. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Genocide, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Slavery, Trafficking, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

mybestfriendsarefictional's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

cait's review against another edition

challenging mysterious sad slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

hannahbailey's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Unsure how to feel on this one. Atwood is such a good writer that I was pulled into the narrative and the world she'd built despite my immediate dislike for the protagonist. There are some interesting themes with a lot of 'what ifs' but my god, this was so bleak and depressing. Glad I made it to the end to see a bit of hope but it was quite the trudge and not at all what I was expecting!

Very reminiscent of 1984 and A Clockwork Orange in terms of its violence, intensity and reflections on the darker side of humanity. Fans of these novels (I was not a fan of either one) will almost definitely enjoy Oryx and Crake.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

thedinosaurkid's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Great book.
If you don't like exposition I would not reccomend this to you. Over half of the book is spent remembering the past, but in the context of the world and situation it makes sense. 
Jimmy/Snowman is a fairly accurate depiction of a dude and how a dudes mind works. Oryx and Crake are fleshed out very well and Snowman's memories are played out well. The most interesting part to me is the way that Oryx and Crake have been deity-ifed (not a word but you get my point) by Snowman and The Children of Crake. 
The symbolism is very interesting. 
The ending is ambiguous, on purpose, and gives very vague answers. It's of course frustrating to not have that satisfying ending that answers all your questions but that is the point of the book. The future remains uncertain.
Overall a good book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Excrement, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

dwellordream's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, and Trafficking