Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Animal: A Novel by Lisa Taddeo

42 reviews

ktwoolen's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I loved this story but as a mother I was so triggered and disturbed by so much of the dialog and imagery. Truly a heartbreaking read for me. A lot of reviews said it’s about how being in your 30s can make you want to kill- but to me it was about how parent trauma and send you on a spiral of self degradation, and how being treated like you’re disposable by everyone that’s ever come into your life can make you want to kill. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Rape, Suicide, Infertility, Abortion, Alcohol, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Murder, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Sexism, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Addiction, Gaslighting, Dementia, Medical trauma, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Vomit, Mental illness, and Physical abuse

Really hard mother/daughter trauma to get through, along with detailed description of a miscarriage.

laedyred's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

5.0

This is one of the best novels on the effects of generational and sexual trauma I have ever read. This is not a story of redemption or hopeful new beginnings. Joan is an utterly real person, and we see the contradiction and pain living inside her without the fluff of a character built to be a turned-hero. The first half of the book is a stream of consciousness and can drag at times. However, a piece like this is not to entertain. Its goal is not to inform or enlighten. This is an expression of pain taken at face value. Those who have not experienced what Joan describes cannot fully grasp what this text does. Although feminism is a huge motif, the modern interpretation of the "girl boss" is nowhere seen. Joan's rage mimics the violence that builds through oppression and abuse, steering her to act out. She is not a hero, but she is also not an anti-hero. She is a person, she is a woman, she is an expression of those who know.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Death, Drug use, Grief, Murder, Sexism, Misogyny, Abandonment, Infidelity, Blood, Death of parent, Infertility, Sexual harassment, Abortion, Child abuse, Suicide, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Rape, and Sexual assault

haleydoeshairs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Death of parent, Dementia, Self harm, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Physical abuse

thebookpaiges's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Grief, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Mental illness, Murder, Drug use, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Infertility, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Emotional abuse

kendoge'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? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I loved this but holy hell was it tough to hear. I listened on audiobook and the narration was amazing. The prose was beautiful and incredibly well written but so difficult and heart wrenching. This gave me every emotion and thought I wanted Nightbitch to give me. The content warnings are as long as the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Pedophilia, Infertility, Child abuse, Abandonment, Abortion, Blood, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Child death, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Grief, Physical abuse, Murder, Drug abuse, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Violence, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Sexism, Self harm, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Infidelity, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Death of parent

rachthecreator's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Murder, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Abandonment, Child death, Miscarriage, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Dementia, Suicide, and Vomit

asuresh's review against another edition

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Sexual harassment, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Car accident, Child death, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Cursing, Eating disorder, Blood, Death, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Murder, Toxic friendship, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

aranxap15's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Murder, Suicide, Pedophilia, Abandonment, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Eating disorder, and Death of parent

ashpociadlo's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Blood, Sexual harassment, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, Murder, Infertility, Grief, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Dementia, Child death, Abandonment, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Stalking, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Child abuse

katienunnery's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Blood, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Child abuse, Rape, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Violence, Death, Gore, Grief, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Death of parent