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natalie_jnm's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness
Minor: Suicide
eva_vva's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Ableism, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide, Confinement, Medical trauma, Medical content, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, and Self harm
Moderate: Alcohol, Misogyny, Racism, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, and Sexism
Minor: Abandonment, Infertility, Drug use, Racial slurs, and Body shaming
nightisareader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Section one:
What I absolutely adored about this book is the stream of consciousness writing style. It was neatly tied together and everything found its end nicely. The vocabulary was a bit meh but I guess it works. The book was quite... American? I don’t know honestly, I’m too Asian for it probably so, reading things like “...he was trying to prove he could be aesthetic...” had me cringe just a little bit. But that’s on me haha. The characters were realistic, the events as well, without any... poetic layer. Yeah, let’s call it that.
Oh and the lovely analogies! I did wish they were explained a bit more but it’s fine, I guess, since the tone of the book was not complimentary to huge descriptions that creep up your body and gently sink themselves into your skin.
Section two:
Now this part is about Esther herself and do I like her character or not? The answer WAS a big fat no but then she sorta grew on me but I still dislike her. Why? There I’m a bit lost; not completely though. The girl was racist and hateful. My friend pointed out that being hateful is a depression thing which lead to an odd question where even now I’m wondering if her racism and hate is justified by her mental condition but I’m choosing to not ponder over it for too long.
Overall, the book is a tiny bit overhyped but it has its charms.
One thing though, I do not know what kind of readers I would recommend this to because for some it would be triggering, for some unrelatable, and I’m a tiny bit concerned for those who do find it relatable (minus the cracks that let in the light of hope)
What I will say is that if you pick up the book, make sure you learn from her, not the methods to succumb but the methods to survive in the bell jar.
Graphic: Eating disorder, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Drug abuse, Blood, Racism, Death, Death of parent, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts
meilanon's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Self harm, Suicide, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness
Moderate: Racism
thequack's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical content
Minor: Medical trauma
alishamegan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Blood, Homophobia, Racism, Suicide, Mental illness, Sexual harassment, Medical trauma, and Sexism
another_fine_reader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Mental illness, Suicide, Medical trauma, and Forced institutionalization
nolongerhuman_'s review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Sexual content
picnicatthehangingtree's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Graphic: Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Toxic friendship, Xenophobia, Ableism, Alcohol, Body shaming, Sexual content, Classism, Confinement, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Physical abuse, and Racism
Minor: Infidelity and Pregnancy
star_lost_fairy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Also there is a very long list of trigger warning, I put all the ones I remembered in my post.
Graphic: Dysphoria, Medical trauma, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Sexism, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, and Alcohol