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chaya_v's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Drug abuse, Death, Self harm, Death of parent, and Violence
Minor: Suicide
heidi_meredith's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the writing style and cast of characters, especially the mother-son relationship and its bittersweetness, with the changes of adolescence and their shared grief. For me, it spoke deeply about our relationships with the objects around us and the value we impute to them. I enjoyed seeing the parallel journey of mother and son in this, with the mother often imputing personality or intent to objects in a way that her son was also experiencing through his mental illness. This ties in with conversations the son has with his friends regarding the nature of mental illness and where the boundaries for 'normal' are set.
I found this book hopeful and accepting of those on the fringes of society. It seems to seek connection and beauty in lives otherwise adversely affected by trauma, grief and illness.
Graphic: Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Grief
Moderate: Violence and Fatphobia
Minor: Child abuse
cupidcove's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Grief, and Death of parent
Moderate: Violence, Self harm, and Drug abuse
Minor: Animal death and Homophobia
stwriter92's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“A book must start somewhere. One brave letter must volunteer to go first, laying itself on the line in an act of faith, from which a word takes heart and follows, drawing a sentence into its wake. From there, a paragraph amasses, and soon a page, and the book is on its way, finding a voice, calling itself into being.”
Graphic: Medical trauma, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Grief, Drug use, Mental illness, and Medical content
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Blood, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content
Minor: Animal death, Police brutality, Pregnancy, and Vomit
esalan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Self harm and Violence
Moderate: Fatphobia
Minor: Suicide
ye_li's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Bullying, Car accident, Death of parent, Grief, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Homophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Police brutality, and Self harm
Minor: Sexism, Child abuse, and Sexual content
savvylit's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
In addition to Ozeki's masterful and nuanced portrayal of mental illness, this novel is a touching love letter to literature and public libraries. By the book's end, Benny learns what many of us already know: that literature and libraries can offer an incomparable refuge and that everyone has a story to tell.
Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Self harm, and Addiction
Moderate: Alcoholism, Classism, Racism, and Fatphobia
Minor: Drug abuse
alomie's review against another edition
- 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
I really had to concentrate with this book, and it wasn't am easy read to begin with, there is actually quite a lot packed into this book, and it's not really surprising that it's over 500 pages long.
There is the main plot about Benny our main character who is struggling with mental health issues following the tragic and unexpected death of his father, Benny hears objects talk to him, and also hears voices.
There is the chapters from the perspective of a book that is Benny's story, which speaks to Benny and helps him remember things he has forgot, these parts were honestly my favourite, and I highlighted so many bits, that it's impossible to share them all.
There is the story of Annabell Benny's mother who is isolated, friendless, in a job that is being phased out, recently widowed and dealing with the mental health problems of herself and her teenage son.
Also there is the stories of the bottleman (a homeless poet) and the Aleph, a older girl who Benny meets in the hospital when he is committed for hearing voice, a troubled girl with a drug addiction who is also a talented artist.
And I've not even mentioned the part of the story about the Zen monk who writes a book about tidying (think Marie Kondo) and whole chapters of that book are in this one. This book eventually helps Annabelle, make changes.
All of this only really scratches the surface, and I really enjoyed this book but, it did take me a while to get into it, but there is some definite magic in these pages, I've given it a 4.5 because of that, and some parts dragged a bit.
Graphic: Addiction, Death of parent, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Cursing, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Panic attacks/disorders
aemulatio's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Death of parent
Moderate: Sexual content and Self harm
Minor: Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Xenophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Violence, Addiction, Bullying, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Sexual violence, and Animal death
teainthelibrary's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Violence and Mental illness
Moderate: Self harm
Minor: Drug abuse