Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Play It As It Lays by Joan Didion

19 reviews

samiisteffenn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Death, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Eating disorder

risemini's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad fast-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: Death, Suicide, Car accident, Abortion, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Forced institutionalization

todelisus's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense medium-paced

the last two pages sealed the deal

A fascinating, little book. Can’t say I enjoyed the story, more like I enjoyed what (and how) the author tried to tell the reader with the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion and Mental illness

Moderate: Suicide and Emotional abuse

Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol

3mi1y's review against another edition

emotional fast-paced

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

4.5

This book was very short and an extremely fast read. All in all it’s a great book with an interesting writing style. I liked that we only get little insights of what’s going on in her life

and the events that led to her commitment to a mental hospital

. That’s what made the book different from others and therefore pretty special in my opinion. :) It even felt a bit like I’d be reading her diary.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Abortion, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Chronic illness, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Grief

mmefish's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-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

4.5

She wanted to tell him she was sorry, but saying she was sorry did not seem entirely adequate, and in any case what she was sorry about seemed at once too deep and too evanescent for any words she knew, seemed so vastly more complicated than the immediate fact that it was perhaps better left unraveled.

An addicting story (thanks to the prose) about shallow people and their shallow lives. And mental illness. Reminded me a bit of "The Bell Jar".

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Abortion, Blood, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Sexual assault, Rape, Suicide, Misogyny, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Death of parent

motleybooksandtea's review against another edition

dark 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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Infidelity, and Suicide

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

colinede's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Suicide, Abortion, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Death, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Gaslighting, and Pregnancy

lizawood's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Abortion, and Mental illness

Minor: Drug use, Eating disorder, and Suicide

jrmrf's review against another edition

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Death of parent

savingmysummers's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion and Death of parent