Reviews tagging 'Suicide attempt'

The Comeback by Ella Berman

16 reviews

jackieyvette's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

This was a beautifully written. Heavy topics and a lot of emotional parts throughout.
Everyone in the book is flawed. From Grace to Esme to Dylan to Laurel to the parents and everyone beyond that, but even the flawed are great to read about here. 
I loved Grace and Esme so much they felt like people I knew. Their mother was such a shit mom, but such an interesting character. Laurel was such a great friend but had so many moments where I wanted to shake her and say this isn't right and you know it. Dylan was somehow simultaneously a great and horrible husband. Everyone else sucks. 

I wish Able would have died in that car accident and I wish Emelia was with them when it happened.

Crying score: cry-angle at the ready. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Grief, Self harm, Sexual content, Abandonment, Body shaming, Car accident, Child abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

stepnic's review

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Mental illness, Car accident, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Drug abuse, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Infidelity, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Abandonment

Minor: Transphobia, Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, and Injury/Injury detail

arachnophobia's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I sped through this book. It felt so real and nuanced even though I've never experienced drugs or fame. I felt very emotionally involved at the resolution! I even learned more about how publicity works beyond cliche moments in other books of having the paparazzi harass you. Didn't like how the character kept being asked if she was okay but then the book didn't explain if the characters were concerned about her tone, facial expression, etc. but maybe that was on purpose? Liked the character development, especially how Emelia didn't turn into a cliche while still playing her part. Thought maybe she didn't even like Dylan but then at the end I realized she actually did like him back. I liked how at the end she didn't say her line and then addressed the reader directly very much. Overall, a good, meaningful read with a good dose of drama. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt

karlisimp's review

challenging dark emotional inspiring tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Great Story that follows the me too movement. Enjoyable but with many twists and turns and truly cements a complicated female character. Worth the read and a can’t put down book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

ashleereadsbooks692's review

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Car accident, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

swanous's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

A really difficult but great story about an actress dealing with the trauma of being sexually assaulted by a mentor throughout her childhood career. The pace of the story matches the narrative, starting slow and all over the place and getting more focused and clearer as it reaches a climax at the end. Of course one book can never cover all of the ways a story like this can play out, but I think it did a really interesting and meaningful job at exploring complicated facets of her relationships with many others, her relationship with herself, and the emotional experience. The description of some of the most difficult emotions was really vivid beautiful and eerily relatable at times.

I also thought there were some interesting ties from the beginning of the book to the end. For example when she was struggling most and in the deepest part of her isolation in the beginning, she talks about waking from her parents to Disneyland every day. Later, as she’s grappling with whether or not pretending everything is okay is going to be enough to get her through, she has a conversation about hating the perfect LA weather because “it’s like living in Disneyland” that I think reflects her budding realization that she is going to have to open up more and do something about the abuse.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, and Suicide attempt

pcataldo's review

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

I really liked this book! Grace really grew on me. I didn't like her at first. The ending was a bit predictable, but still good. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Addiction, Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Car accident, Self harm, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Homophobia and Injury/Injury detail

cinderellasbookshelf's review

challenging dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

Powerful, complex, and raw. 

The writing in this book is so good that you actually feel and understand everything that Grace Turner is going through after suddenly leaving Hollywood at the height of her career as a young actress. The story is focused entirely on her as she tries to cope and understand her abuse, while trying and struggling to find some semblance of a normal life she's only ever really known. Yet, what is normal in an industry that tries to mold you into something you aren't, especially after enduring the abuse, gaslighting, and all encompassing influence of an enigmatic director?

The story is told in an almost mundane way as Grace goes day by day trying to move on and get back into her life, but that's what makes it so sad and realistic. The underlying pain and trauma is still there even in the most simplest things and you begin to see the weight and toll it has taken on her in more ways than one even if it's not overtly said.

This was a difficult read at times because of the subject matter, but it felt authentic, relevant, and true.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Drug use

Minor: Suicide attempt

sm_moon's review

dark reflective medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Rape

Moderate: Pedophilia and Suicide attempt

amanda_reads13's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Bullying, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Suicide attempt, Addiction, and Sexual assault