Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

46 reviews

alylentz's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.0

I don't really get the hype with this book. It's having important conversations and making good points, but I was really not turning the pages the way I would expect from a thriller or an author people seem to love so much. I felt no real connection with Rachel, the narrator, and as such found myself having a hard time getting emotionally connected to the other characters or even the story being told. There were also just a lot of little nitpicky issues I had--the podcast element wasn't really for me, and I didn't really buy into Rachel on a professional level. For example, she's constantly ducking out of court to investigate the other case or leaving early, but everyone is so into how thorough her podcast is and she's smashing the ratings? After about the 50% mark, I was just reading it to be done. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Minor: Pedophilia

maiagaia's review against another edition

emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

This was unremarkable but easy to get through. Despite the heavy content (and it is extremely heavy), this was a quick read. The writing style was mediocre, at best. The characters were flat and overly simple. The "twist" was telegraphed way too hard, and there was only the one twist, so it wasn't even a fun ride. The two plots were so tenuously connected that it felt like I was reading two different books.
My overall feeling is just meh. I don't think I'll remember this book next month except maybe as a story so obviously inspired by the Brock Turner case that it felt weird to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Terminal illness

honeyytree's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Medical content

lacyloveslit's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Wow. Okay, I’ll start by saying that I loved this book. It had a lot of things that attract me to a story: dual viewpoints and timelines, mystery, interweaving plotlines, and twists. I felt like it wasn’t a slow burn per say, but it wasn’t a “ignore my family and stay up until 3am” type of book either- a medium burn if you will.

Synopsis: Rachel Krall is a podcaster who is on her way to a small town in North Carolina to cover a rape trial. While at a roadside diner, she finds a note on her dashboard asking for her help with a murder case from 25 years prior. The writer of the note, Hannah, knows her sister was murdered and did not accidentally drown as was reported. Rachel finds herself intrigued by this mysterious Hannah and the death of her sister and begins to investigate. Meanwhile, she continues to cover the trial of a popular swimmer aimed at the Olympics and accused of raping a 16-year-old girl. Flipping between viewpoints and timelines, the two cases collide leading to a surprising ending.

At times, this book was difficulty to read with trigger warnings galore for rape and victim shaming. While the contents were heavy and dark, I felt like the author handled this topic honestly, and with great sensitivity. I loved the way this book showed the way society looks at rape and treats rape victims. It was almost like the victim was on trial, not the alleged rapist. I also loved how I could almost hear the podcast during those sections. It felt like I was actually listening to ‘Serial’ or ‘Criminal’ while reading the book. I loved how the stories collided and the character who played a part in the collision.

Something I didn’t love- the mystery of Hannah. I don’t really understand why that played a part in the book. I felt like she could have been working right along side Rachel and it wouldn’t have made a difference so I’m unsure what her being so secretive and creepy/stalker was about. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book if you like true crime, alternating POVs, and social justice topics.

Follow me on IG: @lacyloveslit

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief

theyarnmaidstale's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, and Suicide

erinjulia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Rape, and Violence

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Suicide