Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

13 reviews

rebeccadiv's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-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

3.5

This book was very interesting to me because when I was reading it, I was engaged. But when I would put it down, I didn't feel particularly drawn to pick it up again. I'm not sure I would have finished it if I didn't have the second one on my TBR to read. I did enjoy following how all of the characters connected though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault

Moderate: Self harm, Grief, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Addiction, and Suicide

Minor: War, Homophobia, and Racism

autihd_elno's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed this book quite a lot until the final chapter. The constantly shift POV was interesting and overall I found it worked for me, there were only two or so chapters I found dragged relative to the rest of the book. The final chapter didn't ruin the book for me by any means, but something about the speculative fiction element of it didn't land well for me. Maybe it would have landed better in 2010, but I had trouble buying into the imagined future tech. I also didn't much like the character of

Alex,

and not so much in a like-ability way, I didn't necessarily "like" a good number of the POV characters in the book, but for whatever reason

Alex, or his story,

felt like a let down, or anti-climax for the end of the book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Suicide, Mental illness, Racism, and Fatphobia

Minor: Infidelity, War, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Suicide attempt, Genocide, Pregnancy, and Drug abuse

readbycarina's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Infidelity, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, and Mental illness

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Death, Self harm, Grief, and Misogyny

mylargirl's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Racial slurs, Drug use, Addiction, and Mental illness

yaelaed's review against another edition

Had to DNF after reading the article where a man details why he attempted to rape someone, said writer being a character we are made to sympathize with in an earlier story. I don't think every story needs morally upstanding characters but I just don't get how I'm supposed to be experiencing this story? Either way, it has not been a pleasant experience. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction and Sexual assault

Minor: Cancer, Mental illness, Rape, Suicide, Self harm, Drug abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

phantomgecko's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

Not a novel exactly but not just a collection of short stories. Densely interconnected snippets of different lives. Each chapter is written in a unique style that tempts me to call it some sort of long form poetry. Styles that stuck out being the one with all (the parentheses), the one in second person, and the one that was a powerpoint.

I didn't really care for the people and what they were doing, but I enjoyed the circles and knots that wove them all together. Like, wow, all these terrible people really couldn't have done it by themselves. I need a bulletin board covered in pins and string to illustrate how wildly connected these stories all are. Especially the ones that seem out of place, like where the PR lady does business with a war criminal.

Again, not just short stories. Though some of the chapters could be interesting stand-alones, the effect of all of them together is just top notch.

Also, the peeking into the future was fascinating. A new baby boom. The devolution of language. Wild stuff.

So, in conclusion, I really really liked this book's structure and premise and details and styles. But I didn't care about the characters and what they did nor about the music/punk/art/drug scene prominent in most of the characters' lives.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Genocide, Mental illness, Racism, and Toxic relationship

fraise's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Homophobia, Alcohol, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Body shaming, Medical content, Misogyny, Racism, Suicide attempt, Genocide, Sexual assault, and Suicide

Minor: Eating disorder and Cancer

evaaah's review against another edition

adventurous reflective slow-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

1.0

Maybe it’s because I was reading it fast because I wasn’t particularly interested in it, but I found it to be confusing and jumpy. As all the chapters are from different character perspectives, I spent more time trying to figure out who was narrating, rather than concentrating on the story. The overall plot was so bizarre I found it difficult to become attached to any of the characters aside from maybe Rob. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

jenlouise's review against another edition

dark reflective sad 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

1.0

Yet another pretentious book about how how humanity will never be anything but depressed and terrible people. Not to mention this is of course only written about the most privileged in our society. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Self harm, Suicide, Rape, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail

lucinotlucy's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective fast-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness