Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan

45 reviews

venti's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-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

3.75

narrator should have murdered ciaran. she was in love with lisa 🏃🏻‍♀️🤷‍♀️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Grief and Gaslighting

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

noahoha's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, and Toxic relationship

lilyforever's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

lauraegan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

I have never read a book as visceral and heartbreaking as this. Any earlier in my recovery and I couldn't have finished it, yet it still had me grimacing on the bus at my pain and hers. It felt so exposing and gratifying at once to see the feminine experience spelled out like this. The characters motives and mannerisms matched icons of my own life, and I felt shame for finding my own self-hatred in hers. When you're ready to face your relationships with yourself and others this is it, but read with caution as it may bring up some very hard feelings about sex and relationships. Whenever I need a wake up call about how I used to carry myself and still sometimes do this book is where I will always return.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

taylorerin294's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Eating disorder, Rape, and Self harm

acg2285's review

dark sad medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

hbraz's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-paced

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

4.25

I hate men - and the narrator. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

kelleykamanda's review

challenging dark emotional medium-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

4.0

This is a painful read. It follows a character in an abusive relationship. The needing, longing, self destructive feelings are some that many people could relate to. The character finds herself watching what she's doing from outside her body, wondering why she is accepting this horrible pain... and then convinces herself that she must accept this "love" as it is all she is worth. I especially connected to the character's constant need for validation, especially from those who are hurting her the most. 

All in all, an exceptional read. Painful and sad, but truly brilliant. Put into words the experiences that many of us sadly go through. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Rape, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

bersblue's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Alcohol

stellabyproxy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective medium-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

“Mediating your own victimhood is just part of being a woman. Using it or denying it, hating it or loving it, and all of these at once. Being a victim is boring for everyone involved.”

acts of desperation follows a nameless narrator as she falls in obsession with a man named ciaran. we follow her recollection of the fast-paced romance, toxic codependency, abusive control and abrupt ending(s). 

nolan’s writing reads like a frantic train of thought, a private journal, as we take a look at desire, impulsivity, promiscuity, abuse, sexual assault and self-destruction in women (basically, a long list of trigger and content warnings). the complexities of the lenses through which the actions of the protagonist are viewed allows for an unsettling look into the female psyche. nolan has a strong character voice that fully immerses the reader into the storyline, with her choice of an unnamed narrator, written in first person, creating a thin barrier between the story and the readers’ experience. there is much beauty to be found in her commentary on topics of ageism, love, lust, infidelity, mental health and power, making for lots of delicately devastating quotes. 

acts of desperation is perfectly poetic, a beautifully intrusive descent into madness. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Self harm, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Dysphoria

Minor: Addiction, Death, Mental illness, and Sexual harassment