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san_dra's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, and Pregnancy
Minor: Alcoholism
carlytenille's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Pregnancy
teigancollins's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy
Moderate: Abortion
crl_reads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy
marie33's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy
Minor: Fatphobia
writtenontheflyleaves's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
Sorrow & Bliss by Meg Mason π
πππππ
π The plot: When Martha was a teenager, a bomb went off in her brain and she hasn't felt the same since. No one knows exactly what is wrong with her, but her husband Patrick says the main thing is just that she keeps going. When she finally gets an answer, it might be too late for her to have the only thing she's ever truly wanted.
This was a purchase motivated by my enduring love for @mostardentlyalice and my deep trust in her recommendations. It did not remotely disappoint. I laughed, I cried - frequently at the same time or on the same pages - and knew long before finishing it would be one of my favourite reads of this year.
Family is at the core of this novel and, for me, it's the truest depiction I've ever read of the fallout that severe mental illness can have, not just on the life of the person experiencing it, but on the lives of the people that love them.
Through Martha's journey of intense isolation, Mason interrogates the idea of mental illness as being something you go through alone, and explores with more nuance than I thought possible, really, what compassion looks like in the marathon journey of caring for each other over a lifetime. The moments of silent acceptance, the moments of challenge. How cruel deep depression can sometimes make you; how this doesn't make you any less worthy of humanity. How love is both a choice and not a choice at all. That you can hold the contradictions in both hands at once and they do not have to invalidate each other.
π Read it if you love Fleabag, soft fictional fathers, strong sisterly bonds, witty narrators who feel sharply real, or love stories that aren't capital-R romances. Also if you or someone you love has struggled with mental health issues this has the potential to be a deeply validating read.
π« Check trigger warnings before reading but especially avoid if you're in a sensitive place around depictions of depression and suicide.
πππππ
π The plot: When Martha was a teenager, a bomb went off in her brain and she hasn't felt the same since. No one knows exactly what is wrong with her, but her husband Patrick says the main thing is just that she keeps going. When she finally gets an answer, it might be too late for her to have the only thing she's ever truly wanted.
This was a purchase motivated by my enduring love for @mostardentlyalice and my deep trust in her recommendations. It did not remotely disappoint. I laughed, I cried - frequently at the same time or on the same pages - and knew long before finishing it would be one of my favourite reads of this year.
Family is at the core of this novel and, for me, it's the truest depiction I've ever read of the fallout that severe mental illness can have, not just on the life of the person experiencing it, but on the lives of the people that love them.
Through Martha's journey of intense isolation, Mason interrogates the idea of mental illness as being something you go through alone, and explores with more nuance than I thought possible, really, what compassion looks like in the marathon journey of caring for each other over a lifetime. The moments of silent acceptance, the moments of challenge. How cruel deep depression can sometimes make you; how this doesn't make you any less worthy of humanity. How love is both a choice and not a choice at all. That you can hold the contradictions in both hands at once and they do not have to invalidate each other.
π Read it if you love Fleabag, soft fictional fathers, strong sisterly bonds, witty narrators who feel sharply real, or love stories that aren't capital-R romances. Also if you or someone you love has struggled with mental health issues this has the potential to be a deeply validating read.
π« Check trigger warnings before reading but especially avoid if you're in a sensitive place around depictions of depression and suicide.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
Moderate: Miscarriage, Blood, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Abortion
erin_forgie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved this book so much.
I only really felt the bliss afterMarthaβs diagnosis
It really delves into the sorrow straight away, so be prepared to feel a bit emotional.
It had all the correct ingredients for a 5 star, just something was missing and Iβm not quite sure why. I think maybe it was the writing style, I just sometimes found it confusing when someone was speaking as the writer would add extra details about what they had said, outside of the speech marks - and as someone who adores Sally Rooney, its not the lack of speech marks, its just the lack of fully feeling the conversation.
*after a couple of months*
This book is a 5 star, I think about it constantly and I really appreciate what it has done
I only really felt the bliss after
It really delves into the sorrow straight away, so be prepared to feel a bit emotional.
It had all the correct ingredients for a 5 star, just something was missing and Iβm not quite sure why. I think maybe it was the writing style, I just sometimes found it confusing when someone was speaking as the writer would add extra details about what they had said, outside of the speech marks - and as someone who adores Sally Rooney, its not the lack of speech marks, its just the lack of fully feeling the conversation.
*after a couple of months*
This book is a 5 star, I think about it constantly and I really appreciate what it has done
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Abortion, and Pregnancy
Minor: Death of parent
eeviee's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This is the kind of book you read to remind you of how much you love reading. The kind that you revisit from time to time and still feel gutted by. That one book you read at different stages of your life and find yourself identifying with another character you were least likely to feel any affinity with. It is a character study of a deeply flawed woman in an equally flawed relationship, and how she comes to mend herself in more ways than one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting
bookishdiya's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Grief, Medical trauma, and Pregnancy
amal_101's review against another edition
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
5.0
Itβs emotional, difficult read. Martha the main character struggling with mental illness & her relationship with people sheβs close to. Very sad and heavy read at the same time feeling empathy for Martha.
Itβs written exceptionally well. I do find contemporary literature to be written well and they usually have hard hitting topics. This book has everything you need if you want to pick β Sad Girl Bookβ.
πππππ / 5
πππππ / 5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Miscarriage and Pregnancy