Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

22 reviews

bonnie_xx's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Racism and Self harm

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

alliecrosson203's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Confinement, Infidelity, and Mental illness

Moderate: Abandonment and Addiction

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Fatphobia, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Drug abuse, Death, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Fire/Fire injury, and Drug use

ynotlime's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Racial slurs, Infidelity, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Death, Confinement, Bullying, Body shaming, Stalking, Sexual content, Sexism, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Classism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Violence, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Misogyny

jlautry's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

This was unexpectedly incredibly good. I didn’t really read much of what it was about so a few parts caught me off guard and really threw me for a loop (in a good way).

It’s a bit of a dystopian novel and really highlights the pressures that mothers face in society. The author had an incredible way of making you feel sorry for the characters, but also very much disliking them. None of the characters are loveable, and most are not hateable either. This takes an Animal Farm approach to child protective services and other related government agencies. Even though this is a dystopian setting, much of what happened has already happened to mothers and it’s tragic to say the least. 

Towards the end, I found myself skimming pages and skipping paragraphs. I felt like it went just a little too long before getting to the conclusion of the story. It could have been about 40 pages shorter. 

Overall, this book was unexpectedly a win for me. It also happened to coincide with some events that caused this to hit close to home, so it was a little extra emotional for me. I think it is definitely worth the read. 

A single lapse in judgement by a mom stretched impossibly thin lands her in a government reform program she must complete and pass in order to get her daughter back. Any mom that’s ever had a terrible day at her wits end will be able to relate and sympathize with Frida, while also judging her with a hard side eye. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness

Moderate: Child abuse, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

Minor: Racism and Racial slurs

ressicajicks's review

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Death, Eating disorder, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Grief, Sexual content, Cancer, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

laynemandros's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Abandonment, Ableism, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Pregnancy

literarylion's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I really liked this.

Pros:

• amazing speculation and world-building around a possible not-too-distant future; Frida's situation felt scary in a very real way
• incredible emotion and character establishment; I was invested from beginning to end
• strong examination of important social issues without feeling didactic or hitting the reader over the head with it
• Great tension-building pacing

Cons:

• I found the romance between Frida and Tucker a bit unnecessary to the story

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Alcohol and Blood

araines's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Grief, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, and Forced institutionalization

meowkira's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Abandonment, Child abuse, Classism, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Suicide attempt, Death, Mental illness, Racism, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, Grief, and Sexism

itsbumley's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Child death, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Grief, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, and Misogyny

Minor: Sexual assault, Abortion, Addiction, Blood, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pedophilia