Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Idlewild by James Frankie Thomas

4 reviews

hannahpings's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense 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

4.0

idlewild makes for an exceptional debut, but for me there's an even higher ceiling that it could––but frustratingly, doesn't quite––hit. that it could is a marvel enough on its own, though

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Sexual content, Cursing, Suicide attempt, Dysphoria, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Racism

Moderate: Sexual assault, War, Incest, and Mental illness

Minor: Alcohol, Classism, Mass/school shootings, and Pedophilia

incest:

two characters write erotic, real-person fanfiction about two other characters under the assumption that they are step-brothers

sarahgehrke's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Homophobia, Mental illness, Pedophilia, War, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, and Bullying

Minor: Fatphobia

duzzle's review against another edition

emotional funny sad tense 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

Thomas's writing was so disgustingly relatable. It shocked me how well he was able to articulate and dredge up feelings I hadn't thought about since my own teenage-queer-friend-obsession fraught with exploratory RPs, insomnia-inducing anxiety, and being a little SHIT. Idlewild does a wonderful job exploring the many different ways teens can be fucking awful, and I'm so here for it. Don't come expecting a fuzzy-feel-good story.

The only gripe I'd have is with a certain scarecrow-esque figure in the book who isn't really given much humanity (but at the same time, we all know a person like them, so I feel like the author knew what he was doing there).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Mental illness, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Racism, Violence, and Homophobia

Minor: Fatphobia

chefboyavi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Beautifully written, well conceived, and ultimately heartbreaking. I’ve never been more grateful to have gone to public school. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Dysphoria, Fatphobia, and Body shaming

Moderate: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Classism, Bullying, Drug use, Stalking, and Sexual harassment