Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis

24 reviews

shaybunchanumbers's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I definitely enjoyed The Echos of Old Books more than I thought I would. The well placed reveals of tragedies and other characters’ backstories were so well done and left me on my seat. I know I audibly gasped at Helene’s heritage reveal. I closed the book with a smile on my face and am excited to watch my friends’ reactions reading it, too.
The book describes itself as a mystery genre but the only mystery that really existed in it were the real names of Hemi and Belle (one of whom didn’t last very long) and how such a misunderstanding occurred in the first place. But, even that, wasn’t really a mystery. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Antisemitism, Forced institutionalization, Suicide, Death of parent, and Mental illness

torrick17's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Antisemitism, and Mental illness

Minor: Suicide

jennswan's review against another edition

emotional mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Car accident, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Mental illness, Infidelity, and Antisemitism

readtomea97's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

Beautiful story.. I felt so many emotions reading this book, and got really invested in their story. I normally don’t like love stories initiated by affairs, but this one made sense in terms of an arranged marriage that you never wanted to begin with. I loved Ashlyn’s journey, seeing Belle come to terms with the truth, and just how everything wrapped up in the end. Barbara has a new fan out me! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death of parent, and Classism

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Racism, Antisemitism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Self harm

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

tiiiger35's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.75

This book had so much more depth to it than I expected. The dual timelines were interwoven so beautifully giving the story a consistent fluidity. As a highly sensitive person, I was drawn to Ashlynn’s gift as a book empath. What she considered a curse, became the very thing to change her life for the better. 

This story is about more than romance, it deals with grief, heartbreak, remorse & survival. It also has some darker undertones surrounding; suicide, anti-semitism & the factions of Nazi supporters building in America during WW2. 

It’s been a long time since I’ve felt the need to highlight so many quotes. I felt as if the words had been plucked from my own mind at times. 

This is definitely a new favourite of mines that I’ll be recommending to my friends.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, Death, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, and Emotional abuse

Minor: War, Cancer, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Car accident, and Abandonment

chacharlotte's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

 I was gonna give this 5 stars at first, but the last part really lets this book down in my opinion.

It’s too much of a Hallmark happy end for what started out with beautifully written, complicated but compelling characters. I also didn’t like how Ashlyn‘s story was suddenly cast aside in favor of present day Marian‘s viewpoint.

What also bothers me are Ashlyn‘s magic powers, that seem like an afterthought/just thrown in there to give Ashlyn motivation to pursue the story of the two lovers. I think there could’ve been a way to tell this story without the magic - it doesn’t really add much, and it doesn’t really fit the vibe of the rest of the book. If you’re gonna add magic (which I’m not opposed to), I would think it would have more impact on the story and/or the characters. It just seemed kind of lazy?

The “plot twist” was pretty obvious as well, and I don’t think we needed all those chapters with Marian to reveal it. I think this would have been a much better book if Ashlyn had been the one to figure out the misunderstanding and Marian/Hemi’s reunion had been left to the imagination/not happened on page/not happened at all even.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Antisemitism and Toxic relationship

Minor: Car accident, Forced institutionalization, Suicide, Mental illness, and Child death

redheadorganist's review

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Antisemitism, Death, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Confinement, Terminal illness, Child death, and Grief

Moderate: Blood and Car accident

Minor: War

gaby_readsss's review

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-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

5.0

I got this book for free on amazon prime. I had never heard of this author before, but the title and the cover convinced me to read it.

What a wonderful book this was.
I immediately felt captivated by the writing. The concept of this book is unlike anything I’ve read, which made it so much more special to me.

I loved the dual timelines, the mystery, all the bookish quotes and references, the romance, everything was so so good.

This story was heartbreaking, infuriating, sad, and the ending was so bittersweet to me. It definitely made me tear up.
I love when a book makes me feel so many emotions, and this book was definitely one that I’ll remember.

If you’re a book lover, give this one a try. 

This is already one of my favorite reads of 2024!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Antisemitism, Suicide, Death of parent, and Infidelity

Moderate: Abandonment, Self harm, and Mental illness

csmoke85's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective 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? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, War, Self harm, Murder, Antisemitism, and Suicide

clamacchia's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Antisemitism, War, and Mental illness