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mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really liked the exploration of chronic illness/chronic pain in this book. I also liked the theatrical element. Overall, it was a good read. It was unique. I wasn't sure what to expect from the ending, but the ending was satisfying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical trauma
Moderate: Addiction, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Blood, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol
Incredibly weird and witchy.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I loved this book. It was thought provoking and the writing elicited strong emotions. I found the narration and POV to be interesting. I’m a huge Shakespeare fan so I appreciated the combination of elements from All’s Well That Ends Well and MacBeth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Alcohol
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It was hard to tell what this book was going for a lot of the time. It was a good depiction of what it's like to live with chronic pain, certainly. It was a mildly interesting exploration of some of the themes from Macbeth and the titular All's Well that Ends Well. It could almost have been a YA novel, aside from all of the sex and profanity.
It certainly wasn't a gripping read. The first 1/4 of the book did a good job of setting up the characters and plot, and the ending was dramatic and compelling, but the middle half of the book really dragged. The writing was not bad, but the inner dialogue of the main character got pretty full after a while. I listened to it as an audiobook, otherwise I wouln't have finished it.
It certainly was not Shakespeare!
It certainly wasn't a gripping read. The first 1/4 of the book did a good job of setting up the characters and plot, and the ending was dramatic and compelling, but the middle half of the book really dragged. The writing was not bad, but the inner dialogue of the main character got pretty full after a while. I listened to it as an audiobook, otherwise I wouln't have finished it.
It certainly was not Shakespeare!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
Moderate: Ableism, Death, Sexual content
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Reality blurs as this character slowly spirals in a pill-induced haze down the rabbit hole of her own failures. Addicts and disabled folx will identify with this story, theatre lovers will find it amusing, and no one will know what is real and what is not. This book was meant to convey how women go insane from not being believed about their pain. But it turned out to be more about how addiction/lack of therapy & proper medical care/delusions can lead to a downward spiral. But hey, all's well that ends well, right?
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I thought that this book was fantastic. I was really excited to read a book by Mona Awad & I have heard a lot about her writing being like a fever dream, & I totally agree. This book was so insane & anxiety inducing, haha. I loved the way she was able to weave together all of the elements present. She did such a great job at depicting what it is like to live with chronic pain/illness & it being hard for those who do not also experience it to believe it or understand it. “Invisible illnesses” can be so hard to both experience & be around. I absolutely related being chronically ill myself & was saddened to see Miranda feel so hopeless & sad in her life. I related absolutely to relationships being affected & just feeling awful all the time being exhausting on those around you as well. I thought Awad did a phenomenal job making that come across & showing how difficult it is for all parties involved, but especially the one experiencing the pain itself.
The magical realism/witchcraft element of this was also fantastically terrifying. I loved it & was also horrified by it. The concept of Miranda being able to give her pain to those who hurt her the most was diabolical but also amazing.
In the end, I really enjoyed this book. It did have a bit of a slow start & it was hard to follow/like a protagonist that was so caught in negativity & had basically given up, but by the end of the book she grows & learns & is a completely different person. I loved seeing her from the beginning of the book to the end. Miranda truly got to understand her pain in a new way & I was happy with how it all resolved. I rate this book 4.5/5 stars! 🌟
The magical realism/witchcraft element of this was also fantastically terrifying. I loved it & was also horrified by it. The concept of Miranda being able to give her pain to those who hurt her the most was diabolical but also amazing.
In the end, I really enjoyed this book. It did have a bit of a slow start & it was hard to follow/like a protagonist that was so caught in negativity & had basically given up, but by the end of the book she grows & learns & is a completely different person. I loved seeing her from the beginning of the book to the end. Miranda truly got to understand her pain in a new way & I was happy with how it all resolved. I rate this book 4.5/5 stars! 🌟
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Medical trauma
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Drug abuse
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
What the fuck was this? Idk but I loved it. What a weird, wonderfully disturbing fever dream.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Medical content, Medical trauma
Moderate: Addiction, Sexual content
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Alcohol
The narrator/main character of the story is just really negative. I understand why, and I think she was written very well, but I just had a hard time occupying that headspace and dreaded reading it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness