Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Tu by Caroline Kepnes

55 reviews

whrohala's review against another edition

dark sad 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

5.0

Dark. Fascinating. Terrifying. Terrifying in a - "My God... I could know someone like this, but not even know it."

The writing is great, and I will likely need to read again to catch all the small, subtle things that provided insight into the way that Joe's mind works. The inconsistencies in his mindset, the depravity, the twisted way he views the world becomes more and more obvious the longer you are reading (from his POV) and almost makes you sick to your stomach.

There was a moment towards the end, maybe 75-50 pages left, when I was reading Joe contradic himself in his own mind multiple times on a single page about what made Beck "perfect" that it really hit me - There was always only one way the story could end. With Beck dying. Because Joe doesn't know what he wants from a women, yet she needs to meet his expectations constantly or be met with intense criticism and suspicion and hatred. She is perfect for being bold, but also perfect for being shy. Perfect for being independent and strong, but also perfect for being obsessed with him 24/7. Perfect for looking down on fluffy books, but perfect for not being a snob like all the other bitches she goes to school with who also look down on fluffy books. Perfect for being daring and sexual, but a slut because that sexuality hasn't been solely focused on him since the beginning of time. And it's hot when she doesn't wear a bra... except for when someone else looks at her of their own accord, because she likes the attention - slut.

She can't be a person, she can only be his. She has to always be the version of her that he created in his mind the first second he saw her, but she can't be that person. Because that person doesn't exist. She never did.

Also... FUCK JOE. He acts like his dick cures the flu. It doesn't, it's a dick and he probably has good days and bad days like every other person. He's a bad boyfriend. He isn't cool for hating everything - he's a cliché. And he's cliche that he doesn't know he's cliche.

Joe is a human embodiment of the way society as a whole treats women - puts them on a pedestal, treats them like shit, doesn't understand why they are upset and tells them to not be so sensitive, calls them ungrateful, praises the "not like other girls" girls, but they shouldn't stray from the ideal beauty standard or feminine clothes, interests, characteristics... 

Joe doesn't know what he wants because the world tells him to expect everything and nothing and whatever is in between from the woman he honors with his love... (give me a break.) 

Already bought book 2. 

FYI - If you came to this book due to the show (like I did), this is way darker, dirtier, and grittier. The show makes the characters more likeable (on purpose, obviously), but I think the story told in the book is more believable. You will not finish this book liking the characters - certainly not Joe. Thank God. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

ging090803's review against another edition

dark funny 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? No

3.75

I loved the TV show and since I knew it was a book first, I wanted to read it to compare.

I liked how it was written. Not a lot of sentence but a lot of and, I felt like I was in Joe’s head all the time. 

However, I found it pretty slow.

Not a lot happened. I mean, yeah, murder and shit but it was mostly sex, sex and sex. Joe has a big sex obsession. Then, bam, a dead person just to spice things up.

So, yeah, great book. The story is good, it is, however, pretty slow. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Sexual content, and Stalking

Moderate: Blood, Gore, Suicide, Torture, and Violence

Minor: Chronic illness, Mental illness, and Vomit

taelights's review against another edition

dark 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

As a big fan of the show I loved getting to listen to the audiobook version. Joe is somehow even worse in the book than in the Netflix show which shocked me a bit because I didn't realize he could get any worse lol. I look forward to reading more of the series.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence

yas_mean_ie's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Death, Gore, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, and Murder

bookdragonk's review against another edition

dark tense medium-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

3.5

Completely unforgetable (and not in the best way). I was so creeped out by many scenes in this book, and I really have to give props to the writer for being able to get inside my head. I was so disgusted, but that just made me want to keep on reading. The characterisation of Joe as a manipulative, gas-lighting and egotistical stalker who blamed other for his downfalls was perfect. You can't root for any of the characters, but you definitely cannot root for him. Personally, the book could be a bit slow at times, and the faster-paced scenes seemed to end quite abruptly.

Major content warnings would be graphic depictions of violence, sex, and murder, as well as the obvious stalking and kidnapping.

Rating: 3.5/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

anxiousbookclub's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Drug use, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse

bahlamber's review against another edition

dark emotional funny tense 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

4.0

What a creepily wonderful novel! Santino Fontana was wonderful! He brings such a special layer to Joe's character. I gave an extra star just because of his performance. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Stalking, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

tomrae1's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Drug use

Minor: Suicide and Vomit

aeai's review against another edition

dark sad tense

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

1.0

I watched the series before reading this and I'm quite disappointed. Narratively it isn't (as) interesting or refined, in my opinion, and I found reading the extremely misogynistic stream of consciousness of the main character not appealing in the slightest. I don't like how the characters or their storylines are written, especially when it comes to the women, and I get why the screenwriters felt like they needed to add and change so much for the adaptation. Many clever turns, references, tensions, nuances in the series... turn out to not exist in the original material. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Stalking, and Torture

Moderate: Body shaming and Bullying

shiv123's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Stalking, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Cursing and Stalking