Reviews with content warning for Mental illness - Sorrow and Bliss

So many people love this, but this really didn’t work for me. Honestly, the only reason I didn’t DNF is because I kept hoping for the story to pick up.

I appreciate a well-written story about mental illness but this particular narrator really wasn’t for me and a lot of the little paragraphs just felt very disjointed.

Content Warnings

maisiehobbs's review against another edition

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challenging funny medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Content Warnings

indralei's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad 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

4.5

Content Warnings

abbie_'s review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

I absolutely devoured this book, although it came at a weird time for me. Although my mental health issues are not as severe as the protagonist’s (which are undiagnosed and later unnamed), lately I have been struggling lately with my depression, anxiety and suspected PMDD, which I finally sought help for and have been put on some medication. I don’t feel up to talking more about that on here just yet, but I think the timing did have an effect on my experience with this book, in that I related hard and loved it so very much and felt a lot of emotions while reading!!

I loved the writing here, it’s super snappy, filled with humour, but it doesn’t make light of Martha’s issues. The characters feel like they lift right off the page, and I loved how Mason explores how Martha’s mental health affects those around her. It explores her fraught relationship with her mother, her beautiful relationship with her father (seriously that one almost made me cry), her rather up-and-down relationship with her sister Ingrid, and of course her husband Patrick. Patrick was such a sweetheart, literally loved him so much, and the dynamic between him and Martha broke my heart, particularly how Martha felt like she was nothing but a burden on those she loves. But if you think Martha has healthy coping mechanisms well 👀 get ready for some mess. Martha also comes from quite a lot of privilege - she is white, cis & straight, middle class and her aunt regularly bails her family out of hard times (her mother is a sculptor, her father a failing poet), so occasionally I was kind of like… not everyone can *afford* to act the way she’s acting right now 😅

Struggling to put any more thoughts to paper right now, but just read it if you’re in the mood for a raw, witty, heartbreaking portrayal of one woman’s struggle with mental illness.

Content Warnings

amylav's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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

4.5

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