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Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'
All This Could Be Different: A Novel by Sarah Thankam Mathews
34 reviews
archiveofrasa's review against another edition
- 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
4.75
I didn't realise until I was days deep into my annotating reread that the story is exactly what Sneha says it is in the beginning:
This is not a story about work or precarity. I am trying, late in the evening, to say something about love, which for many of us is not separable from the other shit.
—A1
when you read said story and the words and symbolism click into place, it's deeply satisfying. the book isn't trying to explore how Sneha directly navigates the capitalistic society of 2013-beyond, that aspect simply falls back as a foundation, as the unmovable constant in her life that continues to push her down. ATCBD is about Sneha as a person, her issues with intimacy, community, family, identity. the way Mathews going about exploring these facets intertwined with work life, as adult life must endure these days, was super compelling and so new.
while Sneha was absolutely a pain in the ass, all we gathered from her before she hurts others makes me want to know how things end for her, what other choices she makes and why she makes them. I've stopped looking for likeable main characters and instead found myself gravitating towards those who do fuck up, have problematic issues as to why they fuck up, those who have to learn things the hard way, especially if those people are queer people of colour. these stories awaken a sense of realism I definitely needed and even if it has only subtly made its way into the wrinkles of my brain, it'll stay with me for a long time.
Graphic: Racism, Sexual assault, and Mental illness
Moderate: Child abuse and Drug abuse
Minor: Transphobia, Fatphobia, Alcoholism, and Police brutality
chthoniclamb's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Deportation and Alcoholism
hhbaker's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Pedophilia, Mental illness, Drug use, Racism, Deportation, Sexual assault, Fatphobia, and Sexual violence
lorenag5's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Xenophobia, Child abuse, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Colonisation, Deportation, Pedophilia, Classism, Outing, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Police brutality, Racism, Alcohol, Blood, Lesbophobia, and Addiction
upperlipsweat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The things I have critiques on about this book seem to still serve the vision, narrative & context of this book so very good read overall!
Moderate: Misogyny, Addiction, Police brutality, Classism, Grief, Mental illness, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence
bootsmom3's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Transphobia, Alcohol, Deportation, Sexual content, Classism, Mental illness, and Racism
Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent, Medical content, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Lesbophobia
Minor: Police brutality and Alcoholism
kate_ka's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Mental illness and Police brutality
Moderate: Deportation, Classism, and Alcoholism
Minor: Addiction
Poverty, hungercalicos's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Mental illness, Racism, and Child abuse
Moderate: Fatphobia and Transphobia
ailie28's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Mental illness
Minor: Drug abuse
bookswithisabel's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Addiction, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Sexual content, Rape, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Deportation, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Racism, Mental illness, and Drug use
Minor: Vomit