Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Blood on Her Tongue by Johanna van Veen

64 reviews

amandalang03's review against another edition

3.25

dark fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Blood, Cannibalism

Moderate: Child death, Death, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail

frootsap's review against another edition

3.5

dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Vomit

bailey_trees28's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting

mmontgomery's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Any multiple will tell you that the representation of multiples in fiction is not good. Multiples in horror are particularly bad. It's all "come and play with us, Danny." But Johanna van Veen, herself a triplet, didn't come to play; so, instead of weird twins in this vampire, gothic horror, we get, dare I say, an interesting twin plot. 

The vampire is fun, the men are embarrassing, the sisters are devoted, and the setting is mad spooky. I read this in a day, practically a single sitting.

I'm an identical twin and I endorse this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault

nellebelle's review against another edition

2.5

dark tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book is definitely somebody's cup of tea, but it's not mine. I didn't find almost any of the characters likeable, practically every type of relationship felt toxic on some level, and the mystery was so obvious it was almost painful watching them avoid the clear answer. The body horror/gore was written well, as was the sisterly love and period-accurate background (including the sexism from the shitty male characters). The climax was semi satisfying I suppose, but even the ending didn't quite do it for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Murder

sarahkam's review against another edition

4.5

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Murder

naenaebug's review against another edition

4.0

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization

unicornfrolic's review against another edition

2.5

dark tense 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

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Wanted to like this more than I did. The setting was lovely and the prose was mostly alright but I found it got quite repetitive as the book wound on - youd swear everyone in the novel is made of paper (especially Lucy) with how easily and often they draw their own blood. 

Strong elements of social commentary on the oppressive rigidity of Victorian era life and the burden of womanhood, but it wasn’t quite fully realized as a plot point. Could have used one more male character or more involvement from Mrs Van Dijck or Katje to flesh it out a bit more. Lucy and Sarah weren’t strong enough foils of each other to be the main duo.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Classism

sirensaria's review against another edition

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I got to chapter 9 and just couldn't continue. The mental illness is random as the author doesn't give you any real details and seems to almost expect you to know what happened previously. There is absolutely no character in any person in the book. Saying they were cardboard cut outs would be insulting cardboard cut outs everywhere. Hardly anything has happened and what HAS happened makes no sense. I'm not sure if I can try this at a later date. We'll see.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood

nialiversuch's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Grief, Death of parent

Minor: Vomit, Alcohol