Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Ripe by Sarah Rose Etter

44 reviews

errie's review against another edition

dark emotional

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Abortion, Medical content, and Police brutality

Moderate: Classism, Infidelity, Sexism, Suicide, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Pandemic/Epidemic

caroisreading's review

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-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

3.0

This book laid bare all the wounds of my own tech startup traumas. You could read this seriously, or with the levity of dark comedy that it's sold as. It's so exact in its descriptions, the desperate conversations, branded swag, agonizing all-hands, diversity metrics (lack thereof), the hostile undertones that erupt eventually. I felt massive anxiety and nausea reading this. 

Cassie is a marketing writer at Voyager, a user data startup promising ROI for its customers. She is far from home, not happy in San Francisco, barely affording rent and needing to buy outlet groceries despite being "senior" in a big tech job. Every day is a new nightmare, as she works endless hours and performs, to be told she's not performing. She relies on drugs, and a half-relationship with a chef, who admits he and his girlfriend are trying an open relationship. Throughout her life, she is followed by a black hole that grows and shrinks. She becomes infatuated with black hole research. 

Sarah Rose Etter is a talented writer, and doesn't hold back in her relentless descriptions of late-stage capitalism, have and have-nots, sexism, depression, the helplessness and bitterness of an entire generation trying to survive pandemics and a housing crisis.

I had a hard time sorting through the many metaphors being thrown at us -- fruit and seeds, black holes and space, fire and filth, bloody meat, singularity. On top of this, dictionary definitions marked each chapter, which felt oddly campy and a bit of a disservice to the quality of the writing. All of this made for a distracting read, when I really just wanted to sit in the heart of the rage and recollections of our disintegrating narrator. 

This is also a cast of horrible people that you'll need to be fine with hating. Even with Cassie, who endures verbal abuse at home and at work, you'll likely become frustrated, and belabored with the self pity displayed on each page. 

You should still give this a try if you're okay mentally with a lot of depressing and triggering content, have survived the woman-in-tech experience (weak laugh), and like trippy, unstable narrator reads. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Blood, Bullying, Infertility, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Abortion, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Excrement, Pandemic/Epidemic, Cursing, Drug use, Misogyny, and Addiction

heyitsamandarae's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, and Abortion

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Infidelity and Infertility

ourladyofcats's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Classism, Drug abuse, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcohol

kelsiecrough's review against another edition

dark reflective tense 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

3.0

Spoilers Ahead....
Here are the things that I liked:

• the use of a unique form, with the definitions and examples being flashbacks
• the symbolism of the black hole was interesting
• I was invested in the main character and wanted her to succeed 
• The. subtle tying in of things that are seemingly disconnected
• Every once in a while there was a paragraph that so crisp it had me completely immersed
• the audiobook was pretty good too

Here are the things that I didn't like:

• Everything that could possibly go wrong for the character went wrong. Anything that was good was so short-lived that it was very predictable that some thing would happen that would upset the main character or make her life more difficult. While I believe not making it easy for your character is important, making everything that could go wrong go wrong made the plot super predictable and lowered the stakes for the reader.
• I really don't know how to feel about the black hole. On one hand, it was an interesting device to describe the complexity of generational trauma and depression. On the other hand, I wish it was used and explored just a little bit more throughout the book. I also think the fact that everything was going wrong for her plot-wise really softened the symbolism of her collapse mirrored by the black hole. 
• Every few paragraphs there was a sentence or two that spelled things out for the reader that I personally would've deleted in revisions. 
• Ending was ok, like I stated before, a little predictable. All the subtle tie-ins from throughout the book was nice, but based on the amount of time that was spent describing those things in the beginning, I would think their tie-in would be more pronounced than it was in its current list-like form.
• Honestly, I felt like this could have been a set of short stories or a novella instead of a novel.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Abortion, Addiction, Drug abuse, Classism, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Misogyny, and Pandemic/Epidemic

virgcole398's review

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

If you’re struggling with your mental health or healing from narcissistic abuse, please don’t read this book. It just hit too close to home…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Gaslighting, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Alcohol, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Suicide, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Police brutality, Toxic friendship, and Sexual content

josefina_na'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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Drug use, Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

This was one of the most depressing books I ever read. Please make sure to be in the right mood before diving into this book.

candofett's review against another edition

emotional fast-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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Addiction, and Infertility

conspiracy's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Drug use

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Abortion, and Panic attacks/disorders

annagerman's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.5

An exploration of life under late capitalism. A quintessentially millennial novel, about mental health, dating and love, friendship and familial ties, social and financial inequality, disillusionment from the "dream job", and corporate greed.
This story manages to explore so many different aspects and difficulties of modern life without being shallow, in a nuanced sensitive way.
I loved the writing, it was wry and sharp yet poignant. The use of magical realism was done just right,  reflecting the complexities of the MC's inner-monologue. The structure of the chapters was also interesting.
I really felt for Cassie. Her views were definitely warped by her mental state, but I still found myself relating to many of her observations. The descriptions of depression and anxiety, and even suicidal indentations, were done particularly well. They are complex and subtle, yet emotionally charged and unsettling.

Verdict - 4.5\5 black holes.
A compelling, complex and absorbing read, tackling major issues, with a touch of magical realism and dark humor. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Abortion, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Medical content and Suicide