Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Awakening by Susanne Valenti, Caroline Peckham

5 reviews

autumnwitch14's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I enjoyed the world building very much. I wish it focused more on the fantasy elements outside of just supernatural races. I wouldn't say this book is much of a romance even though it describes itself as a bullymance. Maybe later in the series, but this first one in particular barely has any outside of a little flirting (in between all of the sexual assaults)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Classism

Minor: Genocide, Incest, Abandonment, Car accident, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Slavery, and Infidelity

Mind control is prevalent in this book, meaning sometimes characters are forced to do things they don't want to do.

book_bunny03'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

Its fucking horrible

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Violence, and Mental illness

midnacine's review

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Overall, I enjoyed this! The story was interesting and engaging, the world building was pretty intense and unique, and the little bit of spice was enticing.
But goddamn, getting past the poor writing was a struggle. About 100 pages in, the only way for me to continue was to start annotating just so I could edit as I read. I restructured sentences, corrected grammar and spelling, and added punctuation where necessary. It honestly felt like no one but the authors read through the book before sending it out to print. And don't even get me started on the fact that Tory and Darcy- two 18-year-old girls who were supposed to have grown up in the US- used terms like "sports kit" and "postie", which are very British terms.
But again, I enjoyed it. So am I gonna read the rest of the series, no matter how infuriating it is? Absolutely.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Torture, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, and Death

Moderate: Physical abuse, Sexual content, Abandonment, Alcohol, Body horror, Car accident, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness

Minor: Infidelity, Blood, Death of parent, Incest, Vomit, and Medical content

kellicat94's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, and Torture

Moderate: Car accident

Minor: Abandonment, War, and Grief

maelead21's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

WHAT IN THE HELL WAS THIS RIDE I JUST FINISHED?!?! I am in a very emotional state filled with frustration at Tori and Darcy, anger and murderous towards the antagonist, and this situations that happen throughout this story! I’m invested in the series, but need a moment to register all my emotions and feelings towards this novel. Tori and Darcy are ripped from their world and tossed into the Fae world overnight and told to survive or drown. With few welcomes and more hatred and dislike thrown their way it seems almost impossible to manage..but they do! I connect with the general survival and struggles that Tori and Darcy go through, however they leave me with many questions to their actions or inactions! 

I recommend this novel for others, but if the reader has triggers associated with GRAPHIC bullying and emotional abuse don’t read this series.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Bullying

Moderate: Mental illness

Minor: Alcohol and Abandonment