Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

7 reviews

azk's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Eating disorder

Minor: Infidelity, Grief, and Mental illness

limina's review against another edition

emotional mysterious 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

3.75

I liked this book enough. Others described it as uneventful, I equate it to a slice of life genre like in anime and manga. I marked a content warning for ED, because her relationship with food could be triggering for some folks out there.  I do like how Rose became as she grew up. The ending left me wanting

more about her dad and Joseph's abilities. It's also just unclear to me if Joseph is only mentally ill or if his special ability has something to do with his disappearances. I know it's meant to be ambiguous but still

.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder

Minor: Mental illness and Infidelity

waytoomanybooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

This book was a gut punch. It was consistently sad the whole way through, but it ends on a hopeful note, at the very least. It's about an emotionally broken family that never heals. It's about childhood disappointments that turn into regrets in adulthood. It's about not fitting in, no matter your age or position in life. This is not a pick-me-up, but it is beautifully written. The gorgeous language is what made me keep turning the pages, and quickly, too!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Medical trauma, and Medical content

Moderate: Body horror

radfordmanor's review

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic friendship

sssssoup's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

3.5

Okay so. What the fuck.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Grief, Infidelity, Eating disorder, and Medical content

Minor: Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Cursing, and Death

mixyplixl's review

emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder and Mental illness

bencaroline's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder and Mental illness

Moderate: Ableism, Confinement, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Addiction, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Terminal illness, and Body horror

The addiction I perceive in this book is so nontraditional, even magical, that I didn't give it more than a "minor" designation, but to me, the theme of addiction is pervasive. The disordered eating in this book is similarly magical, but because the book is centered around food and eating and the protagonist's struggle with these things, I marked it as 'graphic.'