Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

Psycho by Onley James

14 reviews

dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

so refreshing to get a story in the extended series that isn't the same stereotypical/formulaic jacked assassin dominant top and his pretty twink damsel in distress submissive bottom. also just a fun story about someone who can do psychometry.

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anneb89's review

4.0
dark medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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dark funny medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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dark medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I liked this couple more than the first book and I think that's because we are getting more glimpses into the wider world than we did in book one. August and Lucas feel like a better match to me from a maturity standpoint than Adam and Noah did, which also enhances the story. 

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AUGUST&LUCAS FOREVER!!!!! i didn't think anyone would top adam&noah but i would die for august and lucas. i love them both SOOOOO much. also the fact that this one had me GIGGLING, KICKING MY FEET, AND SWOONING at 4 in the morning???? ugh i love them. please, please, PLEASE check the CW for this book and the rest of the series before reading. it is gruesome and had me angry af but I LOVED IT!!

⚠️: violence against Indigenous women (off-page), torture, murder, violence, panic attacks/disorders, stalking, mental illness, child abuse, kidnapping, sexual abuse, rape, injury/injury detail, forced institutionalization, schizophrenia/psychosis, addiction

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adventurous dark funny fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Ok, I know they’re all psychopaths but safe words exist for a reason, people!! Especially once knife play is in the mix…

That little note aside, these are great fun reads for when you want to turn your brain off for a bit. And considering the harsh subject matter, that’s quite a feat!

Also, this epilogue is everything. 

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dark lighthearted fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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fast-paced

My favorite book in the series likely.

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dark funny fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

As always, Onley James executes a viceral, compelling jouney through confronting vulnerability and learning to share our darkest or broken pieces with another. It’s my first reread after finishing the series (up to the 5th book since theynare still being released) and I forgot just how raw Lucas’ character had been. Each of The Necessary Evils books explore a different trauma, but the writing for Lucas’ frame of mind in Psycho is particularly strong. He is battered, broken, and pushed to his psychological breaking point; the ability to write about that in such a lurid, heartrending way is something that James has truly excelled at through both The Necessary Evils and Elite Protection series. All the while, he still remains self aware of how he feels, how he knows society thinks he should feel, and walks us through that internal struggle; which is another keystone on James’ writing

Male vulnerability is not something most people are culturally accustomed to seeing, so that representation and validation is vital in its own right. The acceptance and commitment to communication between MCs is beautifully done, I’ve really reached the point in my life where I’m no longer interested in the drama and social acrobatics that are a corner stone of mainstream media. While this series is based on the premise of psychopaths “learning to love,” James does a really remarkable job of showing what relationships should be. I’m not saying that anyone should find the nearest psychopath and shack up, but the way in which the characters choose to put themselves out of their comfort zones to learn how to care for and support their partner is something all couples should do, not just “psychopaths aquiring sentience.” They openly admit how they feel, acknowledge their lapses in understanding, and are clear about wanting to learn how to support their partner since they can struggle to intuitively

The series thus far has delt with two psychopaths who very awkwardly attempt to process, articulate, and express their attachment to the two wounded and deeply empathetic neuronormative men they have stumbled across. August and Lucas are a particularly well matched pair, as they can each deeply relate to their tendency to be overwhelmed with the world they live in. As a behavioral analyst, Lucas balances August’s difficulty with social ques due to his autism. Inversely, the way in which August’s mind is organized and functions is refreshing and reliable for Lucas who’s gift has kept every other person in his life at arm’s length. Every aspect of their characters are relentlessly developed and taken into account, resulting in a thorough weaving of characters to one another, their own trauma/plot, as well as the series as a whole. Everything is so well thought out, foreshadowed, and interlaced

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