Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott

10 reviews

bisexualbookshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark funny reflective 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? Yes

4.75

And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott is a strikingly sharp and poignant novel that masterfully explores the intersection of patriarchy, anti-Indigenous racism, and psychological horror. From the very first pages, Elliott's prose captivates with its precision and depth, bringing to light the pervasive and painful realities faced by Indigenous communities.

Elliott's depiction of the intersectionality of oppressive systems is both spot-on and unsettling. The protagonist, Alice, navigates a world where colonial concepts of femininity and patriarchal pressures weigh heavily on her, reflecting a profound critique of how deeply these ideas are ingrained in society. 

The novel also delves into the horrors of assimilation and the loss of cultural heritage. Alice's experience of not speaking her native language, and the broader implications of this loss, highlights the painful consequences of enforced assimilation. This theme is poignantly reflected in the psychological horror elements of the story, where everything appears normal until it suddenly isn't, a trope Elliott employs to great effect.

Alice's journey is also one of motherhood under the oppressive standards of white supremacy. The double burden she carries, trying to be a "good mother" under these impossible standards, is depicted with heartbreaking clarity. Elliott's commentary on how society fails mothers is particularly powerful.

The book's horror elements are intricately tied to Alice's mental state, her dissociation, and her struggles with substance abuse. Elliott's portrayal of these themes is both empathetic and harrowing, shedding light on how substance abuse is often a coping mechanism in the face of systemic racism, personal trauma, and a lack of other resources.

Elliott's anticolonial critique shines through in her reflections on storytelling, art, and community. She skillfully illustrates the power and difficulty of storytelling in Indigenous cultures, while also critiquing the commodification of art under capitalism. The novel’s anticapitalist themes are particularly striking, especially in the context of mental illness, grief, and their lack of productivity in a capitalist society.

One of the most compelling aspects of the book is its exploration of ancestral knowledge and community care. The narrative's focus on the importance of community, especially for new parents, is beautifully depicted, offering a powerful counterpoint to the isolating effects of modern society. Elliott’s thoughts on community care are wonderfully summed up by the book's final lines: “The most important thing wasn't that she'd fallen. The most important thing was that she'd been caught. That she had allowed herself to be caught.”

Despite the novel’s many strengths, the ending leaves a slight sense of brusqueness. The transition from Alice's last hallucinatory moments to the final resolution felt a bit jarring. A brief return to Alice's perspective, offering a moment of reflection or closure, would have provided a more satisfying conclusion.

Overall, And Then She Fell is a stellar work that balances sharp social critiques with deeply personal narratives. Alicia Elliott’s exploration of anticolonial and antiracist themes, psychological horror, and the struggles of motherhood is both powerful and profoundly moving. This novel is a testament to the resilience and strength of Indigenous femmes, and a call to recognize and dismantle the oppressive systems that continue to impact their lives.

📖 Recommended For: Enthusiasts of Intersectional Feminist Prose, Readers Interested in Anti-Colonial and Anti-Racist Themes, Admirers of Psychological Horror with Social Commentary, Fans of Netflix’s film “His House” and Lena Waithe’s “Them” anthology.

🔑 Key Themes: Patriarchy and Anti-Indigenous Racism, Cultural Erasure and Assimilation, The Struggles of Motherhood and Identity, Community Care and Ancestral Knowledge, The Psychological Toll of Colonial Oppression.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Misogyny, Death of parent, and Grief

Minor: Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Cannibalism, Forced institutionalization, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Police brutality, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Sexual harassment, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness

kristenbynoe's review against another edition

dark emotional tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Violence, Sexual violence, Self harm, Colonisation, Drug use, Grief, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Racism, Genocide, Alcoholism, and Death of parent

fiaharringbook's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

This book was a life-changer for me. It was like Get Out but make it Indigenous Canadian, meets Everything Everywhere All at Once or Interstellar. The scope of imagination, creativity and originality in the way this story was told was gob-smacking. My favourite book of the year so far, absolutely bloody exquisite, I cannot recommend enough.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Cannibalism, Child death, Death of parent, Violence, Vomit, Alcoholism, Body horror, Classism, Drug abuse, Genocide, Addiction, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Gore, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Cursing, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Death, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Pregnancy, and Racial slurs

baileyanabella's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

... just wow. I am going to be thinking about this book for a long, long time. My first completed title from the 2024 Women's prize longlist, and if the rest of them hold a candle to this one then we are in for a real treat.
Slight spoiler alert in the content warnings - but if you are sensitive to dark themes I recommend looking over them, there is a lot in this book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Addiction, Body horror, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Grief, Racism, Confinement, Suicide attempt, and Blood

Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Cannibalism, Drug use, Child death, and Chronic illness

mmccombs's review

dark emotional hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

4.0

That ending!! I was not so sure of this book at the beginning, I almost dnf’d like 35% of the way through, but I am so glad I kept going. The pace was a bit slow, but ultimately that made the way the ending unfurled so rewarding. Such beautiful themes at play here, highlighting the interconnectedness of Native women and their stories and their generations of striving toward hope. It definitely got kind of bonkers there at the end, which made for some delicious horror moments and also very poignant pieces about postpartum depression and psychosis and how that experience intersects with (and is further compounded and criminalized by) colonization and racism. This is such a well constructed book, would definitely recommend!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Genocide, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

gabybenitez's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

This book is stunning! Such an incredible depiction of mental illness, postpartum depression, anti-Indigenous racism, motherhood, and it weaves in Mohawk creation stories/worldview/storytelling and understanding of time as non-linear in a way that is ambitious, groundbreaking, and turns the thriller and concept of unreliable narrator on its head! Impeccable critique of white supremacy culture of isolationism and individualism as well. Just gorgeous — I was crying by the unexpected end! 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Genocide, Racism, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Genocide

drownedinfictionx's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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

L

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Police brutality, Racism, Alcohol, Medical content, Addiction, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Body horror, Child death, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Gore, Dysphoria, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Classism, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Blood, and Suicidal thoughts

brit_is_reading's review

tense slow-paced

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

2.0

To be totally honest, I nearly DNF'd this more than once in the time it took me to read. But once I hit about 64%, I decided to see it all the way through.

 While I was interested in the themes that Alicia Elliott was exploring in the first half of the book, I found the back half to fully descend into madness (which, I understand, is part of the plot), but was largely difficult to follow and understand.

I don't think I'm unable to explore dense material, but it just came across like there were so many interesting ideas here, and just one or two couldn't be decided upon - so it had to be all of them.

The end in particular, while I found it to be sweet as an idea, felt wholly out of place in comparison to the rest of the novel.

If I had to do it all over again, I’d probably skip this one. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Dutton for the ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Grief, Addiction, Alcohol, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racism

Moderate: Racial slurs, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Colonisation

Minor: Blood, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, and Cannibalism

theoceanrose's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness and Racism

Minor: Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, and Death

readingwithkaitlyn's review

mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Drug abuse, Alcohol, Misogyny, Racism, Grief, Drug use, Mental illness, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Fatphobia, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Genocide, Vomit, Addiction, Death of parent, Classism, and Death

Minor: Sexual harassment, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Blood, Infidelity, Murder, Religious bigotry, Body shaming, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Pregnancy, Car accident, Bullying, Self harm, Confinement, Suicide, Excrement, Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Police brutality, and War

Mention of MMIWG2S, residential schools.