Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

We Are All So Good at Smiling by Amber McBride

10 reviews

purplepenning's review

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Oof. I'm going to need a beat to process this one. My initial response is: 👏👏👏 I'm so glad this book exists and I can see how it might work especially well for teenagers. But it's doing just a few too many things at once for my tastes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Bullying, Grief, and Racism

Moderate: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Blood, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Racial slurs

tangleroot_eli's review

adventurous emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

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

A magical realism adventure that's also an allegory for depression. A few notes don't resonate with me, but overall, what a symphony.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Mental illness

Moderate: Gaslighting, Medical content, Racial slurs, Racism, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Confinement, Blood, Death, and Self harm

Minor: Bullying

Moderate: Mind control

kerrygetsliterary's review

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Racial slurs, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, and Grief

michelle_my_belle's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Grief, Death, Bullying, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness

Minor: Suicide attempt

theespressoedition's review

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Blood, and Mental illness

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Bullying, and Body horror

rebyreadsandwrites's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Death, Child death, and Forced institutionalization

drraytay's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Medical content, Bullying, Grief, and Misogyny

patricktreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.25

We Are All Good at Smiling is a haunting story of two friends who lost their siblings and blame themselves for their losses. The work passes through the journey of their grief and fight to free themselves using fairytales and fantastical stories.

This was one of the first books I have read in a verse format, and while it was a little hard to get used to, once I did I loved it. The way the characters are written pulls us further into the journey without letting go. Also, as someone who has dealt with lose of friends, family, and more it was a journey that cause me to reflect on my own losses. 

I think and hope that this story can help readers understand and move forward from their grief, especially the young readers that this book is targeted for. It is an absolute recommend from me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Confinement, Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness

anyaemilie's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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

This was beautiful and heart-wrenching and I loved it so much 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, and Suicide attempt

The entire book is a metaphor for going through (and coming out of) depression. The author mentions this at the beginning of the book, but it might be a difficult read for someone currently suffering from depression

bookish_ann's review

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad 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

5.0

Absolutely gorgeous.  There are a lot of very heavy things in this book, and so much pain, but all the bad is transformed into beautiful, meaningful art.
I normally have a very hard time reading long-form poetry, but not here.  Perhaps because the verse is free, and flowing. It feels natural and right, not forced.  It does not feel like an affectation layered onto the story but the most fitting way to tell it.
There were a few moments in this that literally took my breath away - I just gasped and sat with the phrase for a bit.  It’s a truly stunning book. Highly recommended.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Mental illness

Moderate: Racism, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm