Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

267 reviews

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

KH kills it at painting a picture with words, and this is no exception. This was beautiful and challenging and inspiring all at the same time. This one really highlights that we can handle more than we think, and be more than we think we are. This book is about surviving, and surviving very different circumstances. 

This was beautiful, but doesn’t quite beat The Four Winds or The Women for me. 

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adventurous challenging emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

This was definitely a good book. I was absolutely riveted by the story of Leni, her parents Ernt and Cora, and their hopeful, but utterly unprepared move to Alaska. I thought the character development here was incredibly strong right down the line, with Alaska itself being a character that gives, shapes, punishes and rewards the people living there in equal measure. Kristin Hannah did an amazing job bringing this beautiful, harsh landscape to life. 

The first half of the book was incredible - I could not put it down - but like others have said, it became one really sad thing after another at one point. I know that's Hannah's formula (this is the third book of hers I've read this year) but this one felt particularly challenging emotionally, maybe because I was so deeply invested in the characters and wanted them all to be OK. 

I loved the ending and once again, flawless narration by Julia Whelan. 

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Easily the best book I have ever read. It destroyed me.

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I cried more than I have for a book in a long time. Genuinely the best book I’ve read all year. The fictional lives of the characters pull you in, and the writing makes it all feel so real. 

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

You know it’s been a great book when you grieve the characters. 

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional tense medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: No
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this book. I love the way she crafted her characters, the scenery, and the suspense. I related to this book and the main character, Leni, on so many levels. What hit the hardest was the mental decline of her father, much like my own, and how her world began to shrink. Matthew became her life-line, just like the love of my life was for me.
I'm confused why some people are annoyed with how often things went wrong for the characters, but trust and believe, this is how life is for some people. This book shows that even when we go through hell, we can choose to come out the other side in (mostly) one piece.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous challenging dark 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: Complicated

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