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Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '
The Bellbird River Country Choir by Sophie Green
2 reviews
beautifulpaxielreads's review
hopeful
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
This was just such a lovely palate-cleanser of a read, and it seemingly came along at the exact time I needed it.
It also had a surprising amount of depth, as each of the five women we follow has complicated backstories, despite the temptation the reader might have to typecast them. Topics such as infidelity, mental illness, homophobia, ableism, and motherhood are all handled with the lightest of touches.
I would have liked to see more diversity in terms of ethnicity, sexuality, and gender (I think I've become accustomed to it, which is a good thing!) but given a) the type of audience this book is aimed at, and b) the novel is largely set in a fictional small town in rural Australia, it's somewhat understandable.
There is some minorqueerbaiting (at least some could be interpreted that way) where a character everyone believes to be gay turns out not to be (which left a slightly sour taste in my mouth) and an odd line referring to a woman as a "prize filly" which sounded vaguely sexist. .
I also found the decision to set it in the year 1998 to be odd, given it didn't make much of a difference to the plot. I suspect it may have been done to create communication issues between the characters. Ultimately, though, this was a minor quibble that didn't detract from my overall enjoyment.
The Bellbird River Country Choir was a heartwarming, easy read - no wonder author Sophie Green is a bestseller if all her books are like this one.
It also had a surprising amount of depth, as each of the five women we follow has complicated backstories, despite the temptation the reader might have to typecast them. Topics such as infidelity, mental illness, homophobia, ableism, and motherhood are all handled with the lightest of touches.
I would have liked to see more diversity in terms of ethnicity, sexuality, and gender (I think I've become accustomed to it, which is a good thing!) but given a) the type of audience this book is aimed at, and b) the novel is largely set in a fictional small town in rural Australia, it's somewhat understandable.
There is some minor
I also found the decision to set it in the year 1998 to be odd, given it didn't make much of a difference to the plot. I suspect it may have been done to create communication issues between the characters. Ultimately, though, this was a minor quibble that didn't detract from my overall enjoyment.
The Bellbird River Country Choir was a heartwarming, easy read - no wonder author Sophie Green is a bestseller if all her books are like this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity
Moderate: Alcohol, Eating disorder, Homophobia, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Medical content, Medical trauma, Ableism, Pregnancy, and Sexism
There is a character who everyone thinks is gayreadwithchar's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Bullying, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, and Alcohol
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