Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Seas by Samantha Hunt

7 reviews

astoriareader's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

SYNOPSIS:

• In a desolate, small town, the reader gets to know the narrator. Is the narrator actually a mermaid or out of her mind?
• Unnamed narrator believes she is a mermaid. Her father, who walked into the sea & was never seen again, told her she was a mermaid.
• She falls in love with an older man, Jude, who is a veteran. Jude suffers from PTSD & alcoholism.

MY THOUGHTS

• Wow, this one blew me away.  
• A short (roughly 200 pgs), bleak read.
• Lyrical & poetic writing.
• Themes: unrequited love, coping mechanisms, grief, obsessive love, inability to process trauma, abandonment by a parent.
• Excellent character development. 
• Told in 1st person POV.
• Atmospheric and can easily visualize the setting.
• Loved the author’s incorporation of words & the characters’ interest in language, definitions, and word choice.
• Felt really connected to the narrator. Readers can really feel how isolated and alienated she feels.
• I enjoyed the side characters, especially the grandfather.

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️beautifully written + amazing story. only 200 pgs; super quick read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Miscarriage

joe_dmh's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Alcoholism

Moderate: Mental illness, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Death of parent

rileyhuntington's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, War, and Mental illness

martian_anthropologist's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I wish I’d had time to read this book in one sitting and relish it. It’s so removed yet so immersed in its own culture and environment to the point of completely capturing small town life and isolation, and the story takes so many twists and turns

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Sexual content and Mental illness

teresareads's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Death of parent

bi_n_large's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Murder

jbellomy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide