Reviews with content warning for Suicide attempt - The Mad Women's Ball

Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

The Mad Women's Ball by Victoria Mas

82 reviews

kylajaynebooks's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

This was such a ME book I adored it. A gothic woman’s asylum in Paris 1800s - and that’s all I’m going to say. This would be an INCREDIBLE autumn read

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monsterre__'s review against another edition

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dark mysterious 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? No

4.25

i read this in one sitting and it was honestly really great! it’s such an interesting topic, and i’ve never read a book like this before. i would definitely recommend it. the story made me pretty emotional, the last few pages had my eyes welling up with tears.

one point of critique id like to add is this book would have benefitted from being longer. there was so much that was worth exploring, that wasn’t touched. for example other patients, more detail of what happened after the ball (esp w louise!) and the discoveries of the doctor.

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tinybluepixel's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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ktrain3900's review against another edition

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dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.5

Strong female characters are a surefire way to get me to read a book. The women (both "mad" and otherwise) are real, nuanced, opinionated. Their story is complemented by concise writing, rarely an unnecessary word or detail. (Sure, I had some difficulty picturing Salpetriere, a character in itself, but I always tend this sort of difficulty when reading.) Judgment is largely reserved and kept among the men. There is a matter of fact nature in dealing with spiritualism and communicating with the dead that lends a distance with which I'm not entirely certain I agree. Yet, you feel of and for these women. There but for the grace of God and all that. A solid, promising first effort.

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mattiedancer's review against another edition

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informative tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Writing: 3.25⭐️/5

The writing, while insightful in many sections, focuses mostly on telling rather than showing. For many passages, the passage directly stated Mas’ thesis, pushing forward a firm theme rather than allowing the reader to come to conclusions on their own. This did make the book extremely accessible and a much quicker read.

Characters: 3⭐️/5

The characters felt real enough, and yet also rather flat in comparison to the content matter. Where I hoped to find depth, I was met with surface-level characters who occasionally displayed features that dipped below the surface. That being said, the characters were relatively intriguing and, since the story was short, they kept interest for the course of the novel.

Plot: 3⭐️/5

The concept of the plot is incredibly interesting but the execution fell a bit flat. While still enjoyable and interesting, both the main plot and the side plots left me wanting more.

Who Should Read This Book?

Those looking for an introduction to historical fiction
Those wanting to learn more about Salpêtrière

Content Warnings?

Misogyny, sexism, classism, death of a parent, death, illness, toxic relationships, toxic friendships,

Post-Reading Rating: 2.75⭐️/5

Left me wanting more.

Final Rating: 3.0⭐️/5

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aoifemarie's review against another edition

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dark informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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cmartin's review against another edition

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challenging emotional mysterious tense 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

3.5

This is a tough review to write. On one hand, the story is told in such a way that you can empathise with the characters entirely. However, the writing style of the author I find is quite pretentious. Never have I read a story that’s said bourgeois so much in my life! This is the author’s debut novel so perhaps her writing style will evolve in time. If you’re looking for a thought-provoking novel set in 1880s France that deals with mental illness and spiritualism then this is for you!

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