Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole

108 reviews

zoiejanelle's review against another edition

challenging dark funny informative mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

(listened to audio book from library)

i am not a thriller girlie but i happened to see Stephen King’s tweet recommending this book and i said, “romantic thriller? okay, let’s do this.” 

and OH MY GOD was it worth it. 

this book is REAR WINDOW meets GET OUT, Hitchcock meets Peele. it carries all of the best parts of the classic thriller genre, but was driven by a timely subject: gentrification. 

i was immediately obsessed with both narrators and how unreliable they both were, even when they tried to be truthful. Sydney and her many secrets and insecurities was lovable from the get, and Theo—poor Theo—was simultaneously hilarious and romantic in all his goofy, well-meaning but off-putting gestures. somehow the combination of the two, one extremely distrusting and suspicious woman and one extremely maleable and dishonest man, was perfect. i was rooting for them the entire time. 

the plot twists were very well timed. twist after twist, i audibly gasped. at one point i had to pause to soak in the information i’d just read. 

overall, a true thrill that made me glad i genre-hopped. thanks Stephen King for the rec. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Slavery, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Colonisation

Minor: Racial slurs and Deportation

leebeeloves's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Police brutality, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

captainwinter's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

The perfect book to read on Halloween. I was expecting a cosy mystery book, but is definitely more creepy and dark than cosy. It was gripping from start to end and it truly did give off The Get Out vibes. Slightly uncomfortable read because I do think we all know this is exactly how something like this (gentrification, white supremacy, bad people in high positions) would play out…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Violence

Moderate: Death and Death of parent

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

bookish_afrolatina's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious 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? No

3.75

I had a hard time getting through this book at first because of how accurate many of the scenes of Sydney encountering racism were. A lot of it was triggering. 
The pacing definitely picked up 2/3 of the way into the book. Then it speeds up as evidence clicks into place. This could have started halfway in if the author really wanted to go with the kind of gothic horror vibe. I know it was meant to be one of those things that kind of sneaks up on you but the ending should have been longer. 
I feel conflicted about the author’s choice to make the second POV from a white straight cis guy and to have that romantic element. Many of Cole’s books have interracial couples as the MCs, so it shouldn’t be surprising, but this time it rubbed me the wrong way. Having this white character comes across as the author trying to appeal to a white audience and almost like a way to make Sidney seem more believable. Like, if this white guy is seeing this scary stuff, then it must not be all in Sidney’s head! Seeking validation from that connection to whiteness. 
The story was thrilling in the end because it didn’t seem super far fetched to me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence, Police brutality, and Death of parent

Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting

jojo_'s review

dark emotional tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Murder, and Classism

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Infidelity, Slavery, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Colonisation

mandi_lea's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Classism

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Suicide, Torture, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcohol

stephaniezd's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Gentrification meets The Purge!! This book had me on the edge of my seat the WHOLE time. I could not wait to see what would happen next, and let me tell you - I was not ready. Incredible story, incredible narrators, incredibly written. Thought-provoking. Just amazing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism

laguerrelewis's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

WHEEEEEEW. This book fucked me UP in the best way possible. Thrillers are an excellent medium to work through/depict/teach about the insidiousness of racism, and I’m glad that this trend is being picked up by intelligent and talented creators like Jordan Peele, Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, and now Alyssa Cole. This book keeps you on the farthest edge of your seat, but also manages to inspire and warm your heart with a tale of communal aid and resistance. Cole writes characters and a community that are complex, storied, and palpable, adding to the stress when they are threatened by powers seemingly beyond their control. A read I would recommend for anyone looking for a cathartic, informative, and nervewracking take on gentrificaction.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

onceandfuturereaders's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-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

4.5

This book is fantastic. I started it as an audiobook and had to switch over to reading a digital version because I had to finish it faster so I could know what was going to happen. I was getting too freaked out and anxious to finish listening, but the narrators were phenomenal. 

I don’t want to give anything away because Cole did such a good job of making me question absolutely everything about this book in the best way possible. Overall, it had me hooked from the start and there were times that I legitimately gasped out loud or wondered if everything was truly happening, as Sydney and Theo both read like somewhat unreliable narrators. The book unfolded in such a great way and I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a good thriller. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Suicide, and Death of parent

arminam's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, and Murder

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Alcohol