Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

The September House by Carissa Orlando

26 reviews

judassilver's review against another edition

dark funny 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder, Blood, Body horror, Death, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Violence, Vomit, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cursing, Suicide, Dementia, Cannibalism, and Grief

Minor: Self harm, Forced institutionalization, and Fire/Fire injury

beholderess's review against another edition

funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, and Gore

Moderate: Dementia, Forced institutionalization, and Vomit

Minor: Suicide

lucylou's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

3.75

Interesting addition on a haunted house genre. Definitely check the content warnings before reading (domestic violence, child death, and gore being very graphic).
Minor gripe about this book: the author almost only describes characters’ eyes as “wide,” so often that it was actually distracting. 

I read 3/4ths and listened to the last 1/4th, and I would recommend listening to the audiobook- Kimberly Farr does a fantastic job.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Body horror, Child death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Blood, and Child abuse

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Vomit, Alcoholism, and Animal death

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Cannibalism, Ableism, Forced institutionalization, and Mental illness

tabookish's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Gore, Physical abuse, Animal death, Blood, Alcoholism, Body horror, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Dementia

throwback682's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

This would’ve been a 5 star for me except for the stigmatizing of mental illness/painting mentally ill people as violent. There’s even a passing remark that mentally ill people aren’t typically violent but it rings hollow given the context. I find it really upsetting and tired. So, minus 1.5 stars for that oppressive nonsense. 

As someone said on Reddit, “I think that it’s an entertaining ghost story that is better as a deconstruction of abusive relationships.” and I couldn’t put it better myself. If you’re not reading this book as allegory then you’re fucking up. Part of me thinks the comparisons were laid on a bit thick, but given the amount of people who didn’t seem to read it this way, maybe not. I also thought it was very funny, especially the early chapters, but again many folks don’t seem to see the humor. 

Yes I guessed a twist way ahead of time but it was also sort of not the point - a slight red herring for a bigger twist. 

In short: it was a funny, spooky book, that dealt with very heavy and potentially triggering subject matter in a novel way. 

I think everything people complained about in other reviews (the annoying, infuriating daughter; the repetitiveness) all served a purpose. I think it worked really well. 

I just wish it hadn’t relied on ableist stereotypes/stigmas against mentally ill folks, is truly my only real complaint. 

Read with caution if you’ve been a victim of intimate partner violence. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Ableism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcoholism

Moderate: Child abuse and Confinement

Minor: Forced institutionalization

Tons of body horror and blood throughout, including involving children. The entire book is an allegory for an abusive relationship involving alcoholism. Mentally ill people are stigmatized as violent.

daepyonimst's review

challenging dark mysterious 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Body horror

Moderate: Alcoholism and Domestic abuse

Minor: Forced institutionalization

anissawren's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Blood, Child death, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Body horror, Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Suicide, Murder, and Police brutality

Minor: Dementia, Self harm, Cannibalism, and Forced institutionalization

mrsbliss's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Gore, Body horror, Child death, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicide

micallab's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Violence, Vomit, and Child death

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Forced institutionalization

linora's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book made me laugh out loud and made me cry. It was written beautifully and I have a feeling that I will be thinking about it for a long time. 

I'm debated between giving it 4.75 and 5 stars, and decided to upgrade it to 5 stars because of a few scenes that were written with such care and understanding while still maintaining their humor. I do think the metaphor weakened towards the end as the plot transitioned into more traditional horror, but I loved it anyway

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Abandonment, Gaslighting, Self harm, Death of parent, Gun violence, Misogyny, Murder, Stalking, Torture, Vomit, Chronic illness, Confinement, Gore, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, Dementia, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse