Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Penance by Eliza Clark

80 reviews

carmina_r's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Mass/school shootings, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, and Sexual assault

Minor: Racism

elenakperez's review against another edition

dark emotional informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

As someone who was a young girl on Tumblr in 2012 and in middle/high school in the 2010s, much of this book is familiar to me because of the online spaces I was tangential to at those times. Also, as a person who consumed true crime via podcasts and documentaries recently, this book has changed the way I consume true crime. This book has been eye-opening and really made me reflect on my own consumption of true crime as well as how our society engages with what is now an industry that profits off of retelling the oftentimes unsanctioned stories of peoples' real and very personal tragedies. I would recommend this book to everyone I know.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

nicole__reads's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

A gruesome, extraordinary novel that delivers a multifaceted critique of the pop culture true crime obsession, with a story that pulls you in and requires reflecting on your own engagement with it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Incest, Pedophilia, Racism, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

rallythealli's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Holy shit, such an intriguing look into true crime, the effects it can have and how being a teenage girl is awful. Fascinating and horrifying. Check the trigger warnings for sure. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

writeasiread's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Sexism, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Violence, Kidnapping, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Ableism, Body shaming, Child death, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Mass/school shootings, Alcohol, and Classism

katarinabee's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

tallhousecookies's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Gun violence, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Suicide

rilakkumas's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Lesbophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

nastu's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? N/A
• 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: Bullying, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Mental illness, Blood, Vomit, and Mass/school shootings

Minor: Animal cruelty, Biphobia, Racism, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

pilarlopezleiva's review against another edition

dark funny informative reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail