Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

58 reviews

kaelizaco's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Forced institutionalization, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness

katierobertsonshaddix's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-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

5.0

A very dark look at family and marriage dynamics where even those who try their very hardest to do their best can fail. Stage has an outstanding ability to enter her character's minds and depict the confusion and angst of parents striving to do their best while veering farther and farther off track.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Medical content, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma

ericaburns1's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-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

3.0

Disappointing ending. Almost wish there was a sequel. Too many loose ends. Big drama and complicated feelings from both Suzette and Hanna kept me hooked and shocked. The book goes back and forth from mother’s to daughter’s pov. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Gaslighting, Grief, Chronic illness, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Blood, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cursing, and Medical content

Minor: Child abuse and Death

Mentions of possession/demons/witches

aliterarygoodtime's review

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Fire/Fire injury

vsenn's review against another edition

dark tense fast-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

3.75

Would be 3 stars, but my bias for the secondary themes of Motherhood, Natalism, and Relationship Equity bump up the rating. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cursing, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, and Child abuse

Moderate: Sexual content and Self harm

schnanko's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-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

5.0

I have read books that have made me uncomfortable, grossed out, fascinated...this book was genuinely terrifying. I was on the edge of my seat to an extent I haven't been in forever. It was amazingly written and the plot was absolutely incredible. I just finished it and I want to read it again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Blood, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Bullying, Cursing, Excrement, Gaslighting, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Self harm

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

whimsicalish's review against another edition

dark medium-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

1.25

I picked this up because the premise sounded interestingly dark. A book about a possible demon child? Sign me up.

Sadly, it was not that. I wouldn't consider it horror or mystery since everything is clear. You read from the mother's and Hanna's perspective. Nothing is in secret. You know Hanna's intention right away. It takes away the horror because you're not guessing what's coming next. Hanna tells you herself.

I was most engaged in the first third or quarter. You're learning about the stakes and what Hanna wants. But her perceptive really takes away any surprise. It was nice to get backstory of the mom, Suzette. You learn why it's significant for her to be a good mother. But there are paragraphs, sometimes pages, about Swedish traditions (why?) or her odd dreams. You don't need odd dreams in the story when you have an odd reality of your kid trying to snuff you out! The father is the most useless character. His ONLY purpose is for the conflict. 

The mother and daughter fight over his love. The only reason Hanna is able to act out constantly is solely because the father never believes his wife. He really takes the word of his gremlin 7 year old over many adults. Including his wife, who he repeatedly interrupts and ignores. "I never see this bad behavior so that must mean it never happens!" Sir, you are a fully grown man. Act like one.

 

Hanna's intelligence is brought up many times. I don't doubt she's smart. 

But you expect me to believe this child that NEVER spoke in her 7 years has a perfect French accent. The mom constantly brought up how perfect her French accent sounded. HOW? Hanna never speaks! Does she practice somewhere alone on her witchy French accent?

 

I wanted more from the climax and lukewarm ending. The book does raise the question: 

Is Hanna acting out because she was abused? Her core memory at 3-years-old was frightening after her mother nearly choked her. That started Hanna to "test" her mother. She wanted to know if her mother really loved her or only acted as a doting mom. But the book doesn't encourage this line of thought after portraying Hanna as despicable and vindictive.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Chronic illness, and Mental illness

Minor: Domestic abuse

eleanorrae's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Blood, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Violence, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Murder

ten_telegrams's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Child abuse, Cursing, and Grief

imrath's review against another edition

dark tense medium-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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness

Minor: Excrement