Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson

20 reviews

my_a's review

dark mysterious sad tense slow-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

2.5

This wasn't the eerie haunting gothic novel that I had expected it to be. Next to no plot, felt lacklustre in its writing and plot. Cousin Charles seemed like a bolted-on afterthought, I was expecting him to advance the plot or flesh out the backstory but he may as well have not been there. I really did feel for the Uncle & would've like to have known more about him and his story.

The Afterword was interesting & I can see that there is much more going on under the surface. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Terminal illness

emry23's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Murder

Minor: Terminal illness

vas_17's review

dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Misogyny, Classism, Child abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Sexism, Cursing, Murder, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Death

addyruth17's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Mental illness and Death

Minor: Grief, Murder, and Terminal illness

mossgoblins's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder and Death

Minor: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Dementia, and Forced institutionalization

breezer's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Just *gothic vibes* but make it 1960s

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Terminal illness, and Bullying

angelfireeast24's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Bullying, Child death, Death, Dementia, and Mental illness

Moderate: Ableism

Minor: Cursing

emory's review

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Mental illness, Murder, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Misogyny

meursault_letranger's review

dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.25

Liked the atmosphere and the characterization. Interesting seeing the dynamics between the characters unfold.  If you like books with an unreliable main character/narrator, you might like it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Violence, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Murder, Child death, and Confinement

Minor: Child abuse

davidrb's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

DAMN. Shirley Jackson is a master of dread: the entire book is a slow build to one disaster interrupted by another, and the entire time, your hair is on end. You don't know exactly what is going to happen, but also, don't you? Perfect despairing horror.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Incest, Mental illness, Murder, Stalking, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

When it comes to the incest warning

it's debatable, but it was enough to make me uncomfortable. However, I wouldn't say it's viewed in a positive light beyond Merricat herself being the narrator and thinking all of her actions and thoughts are justified.