Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

2 reviews

cait's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Pregnancy, Vomit, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Toxic friendship, Classism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Cancer, Child abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Sexual content, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Blood, Confinement, Death of parent, Drug use, Physical abuse, War, Death, Sexism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Abandonment, Child death, Chronic illness, Infertility, and Injury/Injury detail

johannslauren15's review

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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

3.75

  This book was really interesting to read if you want to learn more about Ancient Chinese women lifestyles. I think this book taught me a lot about how women were raised with foot binding and the importance they put women through cleaning, knitting, cooking, raising children, and of course bearing a male heir. I loved to learn about how women were raised in compare to men. I fell in love with the relationship between Lily and Snow Flower. 

The ending made me so sad I wished Lily did not hold those grudges and assumptions against Snow Flower since she went through so much going through marrying an abusive husband and his family then losing 4 children. Even with her childhood of her father misusing her family and getting addicted to opium. Lily really did not have to judge her for that after losing everything with her natal family and in-laws. I really appreciate how she showed how fame/power can get to your ego if you let it. Where at the beginning Lily promised she would never misuse her power like her mother-in-law did because she came from a poor family. At the end of the day she realized a lot of people were just using or being nice to her for looks and in marrying well. 

  Definitely read this book if you want to learn more about Ancient Chinese culture and lifestyles but do be aware how intricate and detailed her writing is while reading traumatic events. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Death, Infertility, and Miscarriage