Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

26 reviews

ukki's review

• 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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Body shaming, Medical content, Addiction, and Fatphobia

Minor: Self harm, Police brutality, Rape, and Drug abuse

hollyd19's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.5

 On more than one occasion while reading this book, I just wanted to hold it to my chest in a tight hug. The Book of Form and Emptiness is creative & thoughtful, with kindhearted, messy characters and a sensitive look at mental illness. It explores seemingly incongruous themes from climate change to the purpose of art to the power of found family.

The protagonist, Benny Oh, starts hearing voices after the unexpected and upsetting death of his beloved father. He realizes that the voices are the objects of the world trying to get his attention. On the whole, he finds their pleas overwhelming and he retreats into himself in search of solace. Ultimately, he finds comfort at the public library where things are literally quiet and orderly, and he meets a delightful cast of characters from the social margins who help him see his worth and sanity. Benny’s mother, Annabelle, wracked with grief, experiences her own breakdown and begins hoarding. Benny’s new “ability” clashes dramatically with Annabelle’s penchant for collecting, and the two have to figure out how to hold their little family together amidst their individual struggles.

Ruth Ozeki is incredibly inventive and this book definitely played with structure and perspective in an original way. The supporting cast of characters were all treated as full people which added immensely to my enjoyment.

My only critique of the book is that I wished for even more insight into the world Ozeki built around objects. The Book (a character in itself!) explains to Benny that there is a bit of a rift between Made and Unmade items, and occasionally goes on rants about how various objects (specifically books) view humanity. I really enjoyed those parts and they came with less and less frequency as the book progressed which was a bit of a bummer. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Death, and Mental illness

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Self harm, Car accident, Body shaming, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

carabones's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Self harm

Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Fatphobia, Animal death, and Injury/Injury detail

gabb_reads's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Grief

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, and Alcoholism

Minor: Mass/school shootings and Fatphobia

mikeebeth's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad slow-paced

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

5.0

I read A Tale for the Time Being a few years ago and loved it so I was so excited to see a new book by Ruth Ozeki. I have to say I love this book just as much, maybe even more. Ozeki's compassionate approach to mental health is refreshing and special, and I loved the way she turned the trope of hearing voices around on its head. 

Towards the end, Benny's psychologist tells Annabelle that some of the characters that we have spent time with are figments of Benny's imagination, and when Annabelle insists that at least one of them is real, the psychologist doesn't believe her. I loved the choice that Ozeki makes to have that moment and have the psychologist be incorrect.

I was also delighted with the tribute to Marie Kondo in this book, since I read A Tale for the Time Being and The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up around the same time. A Tale for the Time Being provided context with the Zen practice of thanking objects when you use them which made me appreciate Kondo's gratitude ritual more. In this book I really appreciated Ozeki's contribution with Zen philosophy to contextualize the magic of tidying up even further, and how she uses the in-universe Tidy Magic to further the theme of interconnectedness and the power of books.

I think this is going to be a book that will stick with me for a long time after I've read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Child abuse and Sexual assault

lilly_anne's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Medical content, and Grief

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, and Fatphobia

Minor: Bullying