Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

All's Well by Mona Awad

27 reviews

r_o_s_e's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, Gaslighting, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Medical content, Alcohol, Mental illness, Medical trauma, and Misogyny

Minor: Abandonment, Stalking, Blood, Grief, and Toxic friendship

stripes_and_naps's review against another edition

dark emotional funny medium-paced

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

5.0

By the time I finished the first few paragraphs I knew I was hooked. The sardonic humor, paired with painfully relatable chronic pain representation set the tone for what truly was a wild ride. While I can admit that this book is not for everyone, I enjoyed the surreal elements as they kept me guessing. I also really enjoyed the references to Shakespeare. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Kurt Vonnegut’s work or who loves a good antihero. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, Medical content, Death, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Medical trauma, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Death of parent, Misogyny, and Gaslighting

mylou's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious

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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Infertility

talis_turner's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

There are sexual elements to this book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Drug abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Chronic illness, Drug use, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Death, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Injury/Injury detail

rachelly's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Medical trauma, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Grief, and Addiction

_annajackson_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.5

If you enjoy theater or anything literary, I beg you, please read this book. 

This is an eloquent lens into the world of pain, especially female pain. There is a deep desire in today’s society to suppress and forget about pain. 

Miranda, the main character speaks about her perpetual agony and the widespread effects that it has had on her life. She also speaks on how the once smiling faces of people whom she loved, eventually became the coldest to her and her agony. I feel like this is something that gets overlooked in media. We want to believe that the people we love the most will always be there for us, but when it comes down to it even they can experience the taxing repercussions of pain. 

I also IMMENSELY appreciated the theatrical aspects of this book. I have never read something that I could so vividly imagine being a film. I’m not just talking about the possibility of it being a film, but literally imagine it scene for scene. I adored that. Awad did an excellent job of incorporating aspects from both All’s Well and The Scottish Play, into something that breathed new life into Shakespeare. With that being said YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BE FAMILIAR WITH EITHER PLAY OR EVEN SHAKESPEARE TO APPRECIATE THIS STORY. Albeit, it does help especially concerning the mysterious three men and their motives, but I have not read/seen All’s Well and I never felt lost of a moment. With that being said, I do intend to brush up on both plays in order to fully appreciate this work and all the hidden easter eggs in it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness

Moderate: Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Alcohol

venice_the_vampire's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

god i love love LOVED the beginning of the book and the depictions of chronic pain so much, they way they were written were so interesting and real and relatable. i also really love that i was at times angrily on miranda’s side, while at other times i felt horrifically guilty for almost beginning to doubt her pain and deem her an unreliable narrator, like everyone else in her life clearly has. the book was a bit confusing, and the end didn’t quite satisfy me, but i still absolutely adored the book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Chronic illness, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Minor: Blood and Gaslighting

biobeetle's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Gaslighting, Chronic illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Sexual content, and Abandonment

Minor: Child death

ecb03's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Chronic illness

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, Ableism, and Mental illness

dhritigupta's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

this was a wacky and surreal book that would have maybe benefitted from being shorter? i liked the narrative tone but since there was a lot of internal monologue involved, it dragged on sometimes.

it was interesting to read this after rouge, and spot the occasional similarities between the protagonists and the themes! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Ableism, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Suicidal thoughts