Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe: Tenth Anniversary Edition by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

73 reviews

schivakumaran's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

Adored this book to my core. Absolutely divine read. The characters feel so real and true and the honest portrayal of growing up into adulthood and the challenges young people face was artfully done. This book dealt with very heavy subjects in such a realistic and compassionate loving way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Car accident, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Death, Cursing, Drug use, Grief, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Hate crime

matheo's review against another edition

emotional reflective

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Hate crime, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Lesbophobia, Grief, Death, Homophobia, Racism, Violence, War, Body horror, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Animal death, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Drug use

davidbythebay's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

I am in awe of this book. This was NOTHING like I had anticipated it to be. I certainly expected a sweet coming-of-age novel involving LGBT issues of growing up in the 1980s. I expected it to be a bit of a sing-song romance with conflict. I expected a bit of a saccharine sweet story of young love. This was not that, but it was better. GO AND READ THIS NOW! 

I went into this book blind. All I knew was that this was a YA book involving LGBT issues and people in the 1980s. Like I already said, it was so much more and absolutely fantastic. Aristotle and Dante have a story that involves a self-discovery that many LGBT individuals face even today. But it explores so many other topics - family secrets, homophobia, violence, acceptance, death, grief, war, mental health, etc. - which are each handled beautifully. Additionally, they are absolutely handled without a single one feeling like it was jammed in and forgotten, or like the book becomes bloated because of all of these topics. 

This is potentially sort of spoilery, but really I don't think it is. For those who don't want to read about the message I got from this book, read the book first then come back here. It may be best that way.

Sometimes we don't accept what is before us. Sometimes we can't see what is real. Sometimes we need a push to get to the truth. We may not speak of the truths hidden deep inside us, but they are there and we can't run from them. We have to explore them and discover our truth in time. It's part of our journey as LGBT people. It's part of our journey as human beings. We all have to figure out that we cannot run from ourselves for the happiness of others. That doesn't make us happy, and it doesn't make the others happy either. Our happiness creates happiness for those we love. We cannot live unhappy in the hope it makes others happy. We can only live as us in all our beautiful glory. We are born as we are and we have to live that way.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Car accident, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Hate crime, Bullying, Medical content, and Violence

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Outing, and Mental illness

annsfictworld's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Abandonment

Minor: War

anapthine's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Hate crime, Violence, Homophobia, Biphobia, Blood, Car accident, and Mental illness

Moderate: Murder, Cursing, War, Alcohol, and Violence

tmcphetridge4's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This felt like a summer fun book that creeps up behind you and hits you with angst. I wasn't ever held back by any of the characters but this definitely wasn't what I expected. The ending gutted me. I'm excited to read the second book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Car accident, Cursing, Alcohol, Violence, Mental illness, Drug use, and Homophobia

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, War, and Murder

narbine's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol and Cursing

Moderate: Homophobia and Hate crime

Minor: Violence, Medical content, and Mental illness

nicnevin's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-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

5.0

A painfully honest book about two teenagers unsure if they are in love, about the secrets we hold tight.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Violence, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, and Murder

reddeddy's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Homophobia, Hate crime, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Biphobia, Car accident, and Cursing

Moderate: Blood, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Outing, Sexual content, Bullying, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Abandonment, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Lesbophobia, Terminal illness, and Transphobia

simon_toast's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

I went to start this book expecting a simple coming of age romance. I was really wanting a book about trauma, sibling loss, and recovery. To my surprise I got just that. It was unexpected and gorgeous. The relationships between children and parents made me cry and the way it addressed memories and dreams warmed my heart. I am a library book person, but this will have to join my shelf. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Car accident, Violence, Alcohol, and Grief

Moderate: Drug abuse, War, Violence, and Homophobia

Minor: Transphobia, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, and Addiction