Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan

25 reviews

bookwormfr_t0's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• 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

4.25

Nolan's writing is incredibly full of depth and I can confidently say I have never read anything like this.  We follow the narrator go through an unhealthy obsession with love and the toxic abuse she endures.  I didn't necessarily "root" for the narrator, however, I couldn't stop reading it because it's like watching a car crash - you can't look away.  There is so much commentary in such a short book (the female experience, losing yourself in someone else, mental illness, eating disorders and relationships with food, appeasing men, consent, etc.); it is an uncomfortable read so ensure to review the trigger warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Eating disorder and Suicidal thoughts

anshika06's review

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Violence, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

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

Moderate: Grief and Gaslighting

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

v7738v773's review against another edition

challenging dark tense 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

2.0

I thought I’d like this book more than I did. The brutal honesty und accuracy with which the author describes the protagonist’s emotions and behaviors were intriguing, but I just didn’t feel good reading this book. It was hard to get into at first and the last third just made me feel dragged down. I didn’t really want to continue reading but did so for the sake of finishing the book. Maybe more fitting for someone else, as I just didn’t feel connected to the main character, especially towards the end. I found it too dark and just couldn’t relate to the overall mindset. Reading this book felt like a toxic and abusive experience with an ending that was neither conclusive nor developed enough for me. Wouldn’t read again and wouldn’t really recommend to a friend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Violence, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexism

Minor: Abandonment, Drug abuse, and Drug use

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

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

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

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

Minor: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Rape

booksconcafe's review against another edition

dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Eating disorder, and Abandonment

susannaobrien's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

4.0

Oof, this book packs a punch. It's gripping yet hard to read. Many observations on love, friendship, and self-worth are incredibly intelligently described in ways I've never seen before, and lots is relatable as a twenty-something woman dating men in a city. The conversation around sex and consent was interesting and definitely an uncommon perspective in literature. A few scenes broke my heart. All the characters are flawed, and towards the end the book meditates on how you can portray your side of the story even when you've done wrong. Cool framing device to leave the protagonist unnamed.

In some places it feels a little self-indulgent and academic, which makes it feel less realistic, and hard to believe that a twenty-three year old would have that self-awareness. I also don't like that this is billed as a book on female desire because while much can be relatable to female readers, I think generalising too much from this protagonist's perspective could feed into harmful stereotypes.

Overall an impressive read that left me with some mixed emotions!

Major content warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Rape, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Suicide and Addiction

yasminnobre's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

"In these moments I knew that if I could be smaller, smaller, less and less, if I could be tidied, then he would love me fully and properly; and that anybody - oh, everybody - would."

this book has a raw and at times uncomfortable portrayal of obsession and codependency. the unnamed main character reduces herself, her memories, feelings, and needs in order to please a man, and to become as inconvenient and small as she can be, in the hopes that it will make her lovable.

i went into this expecting it to be a book that had a scary portrayal of obsession, but finished it feeling more understood than ever (don't get me wrong, not the obsessive part :D i'm not crazy) because this author has a way of putting very uncomfortable and unique situations women go through in words and ways that i would've never thought possible. the universal experience of being a woman and trying to fit into molds people impose on you, with the promise of love and acceptance for doing so... sexual-trauma, toxic upbringings, problems with self-image and food, self-loathing and emotional abuse... i think every woman i know is familiar with at least one of these things, and this book makes your feelings very seen and heard.

not only the portrayal of a toxic relationship, with its high and lows, manipulation, and gaslighting, was done perfectly, but also the internal dialogue of going through a situation like that. this author puts into words feelings we all feel but are ashamed of admitting so, and it shocked me how relieving it was to know i was not alone in such thoughts. you understand the main character, not because you're going through that situation, but because the writing of her internal conflicts is so so so well-done that you almost wish you could help her. it is less about obsession than it is about codependency and feeling like you can't survive if you're alone.

i debated whether to give this five stars, but ultimately decided not to. it is not a plot-driven book, and the pace is quite slow, but it was incredibly relatable. i ultimately felt like it was missing something, though the ending was very very nice and comforting. i loved this book so much, and i think it's one of my favorites now. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, and Mental illness

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Stalking, Eating disorder, Infidelity, and Misogyny

Minor: Suicidal thoughts