Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Die stumme Patientin by Alex Michaelides

83 reviews

cwbillings's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.0

Wow. Okay. I REALLY wanted to like this one. The first half kept me on my toes, the mystery and pacing was irresistible. And then the ending turned out to be such a let down. Predictable and anticlimactic. PLUS my major qualm with the book is how the author writes his characters. 

The way the male narrator describes the female characters and in turn the way the author writes women veers into misogyny. There are a number of likable male characters mentioned in this book and they have substance. Every woman is either a martyr or a monster. 

They all fit into a different stereotype one way or another. Every woman mentioned is a victim, a bitch (calls women this multiple times), or motherly. And their characterization goes no deeper than this. I noticed this about halfway through the book. It’s also worth mentioning, the story heavily takes place in a mental hospital, and somehow all the patients are women. 

So, unfortunately, this highly anticipated read became quite a chore to get through for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Stalking, Medical trauma, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Misogyny

Minor: Alcohol

katlinstirling_reads's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I really enjoyed this book, more than I thought I would! Gave me Agatha Christie vibes sort of. 4.5 Stars would recommend

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Suicide, Chronic illness, Medical content, Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Mental illness, Alcohol, Murder, Self harm, Car accident, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Death

saisrei's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Alcohol, Gun violence, Addiction, Blood, Death of parent, Infidelity, Medical content, Violence, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt

courtneymiranda's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm

spicyspookypotato's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Violence, Blood, and Suicide attempt

cumminsn's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

This book kept me on my toes for it’s entirety. It is a mystery unlike any I’ve ever encountered, and there was a very unexpected twist towards the end of the story that shook my entire understanding of how the events of the story had played out, in a good way! This twist then made me look at everything leading to that moment in a new light, and then everything started clicking into place. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Stalking

Moderate: Medical content, Death of parent, Gun violence, Alcohol, Car accident, Death, Suicide attempt, Blood, Self harm, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

bulbasaurcowboy's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

It is a slow read, but a worthwhile read. You can guess a thousand times what the story really is. You'll question yourself constantly, and bit by perfectly timed bit more will be fed to you. The ending is BANANAS! Definitely a new favorite and a book I'll be recommending for a while to come. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Medical content, Mental illness, Stalking, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Infidelity, and Self harm

mckinleyelle's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Gun violence

Moderate: Infidelity, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent

haley_mil_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, and Stalking

Moderate: Infidelity

loudo's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Death, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Gore, Addiction, Alcohol, Car accident, Child abuse, Stalking, Self harm, Grief, Bullying, Gaslighting, Violence, Body horror, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Murder, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Abandonment, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Toxic relationship