Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin by Roseanne A. Brown

30 reviews

mme_carton's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Mental illness, Murder, Blood, War, Alcohol, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, and Violence

Moderate: Gaslighting, Slavery, Abandonment, and Confinement

abookstereotype1's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

The perfect YA fantasy

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Animal death, and Physical abuse

corriejn's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No

4.25

First two thirds or so of this book were great: skilled worldbuilding, introduction of characters and storylines that were destined to clash. However, things fall a part a bit when the author actually gets to resolving how those various storylines interact and resolve. Brown seems to want to be N. K. Jemisin, but falls short. Too many flat, undeveloped characters who pop in to be major parts of the narrative, too many twists and turns that aren't foreshadowed or a logical part of the story, but just tossed in and basically rewrite the worldbuilding and characters that were more skillfully introduced earlier. I don't plan to read the rest of this series. It started off really promising through most of this volume, but ended up a jumbled mess.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Classism, Death, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Death of parent, Grief, Kidnapping, Racism, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Child abuse, Alcohol, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, and Physical abuse

Minor: Cannibalism, War, and Torture

vashtanarada42's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

I loved how the author approached many difficult topics, it was trauma-informed in how it approaches the complexity of situations and mental effects of long-term abuse. I cannot recommend this series more!   

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, and Gaslighting

maryannsophia's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

The premise of this book is amazing - and Roseanne Brown's masterful use of West African, North African, and Indian folklore and culture is immersive and incredibly unique. 

But her characters are morally ambiguous and tortured. I got tired reading chapter after chapter of PTSD, trauma, anxiety, and distress without a real sense of hope.

The one bright spot is Malik's love for his sister, but even that is overshadowed by his drive to murder in order to save her. And Karina spends the majority of the book trying to resurrect her mother with necromancy, but is so upset when another character succeeds at exactly that with her sister. It appears necromancy and dark magic were only right if she herself did them.

 

The characters' sense of right and wrong is very tied to their feelings.

Karina is okay with killing her husband as long as it's someone she doesn't have feelings for. But as soon as she gets close to Malik and Tunde, she decides not to kill each of them.

 

Lastly, there is no clear bad guy, or good and evil. While there is a place for "No bad guy" in fiction, the forces in this book are tricksters out for their own agendas, manipulating and backstabbing as they see fit. If that's your cup of tea, then it's up to you.

As good as the wonderful cultural and folklore references are, I can't in good conscience recommen  this book. As a third-culture kid who grew up in Africa, that's why I was drawn to this book. But it's tone and worldview are too bleak and disatisfying to justify recommending it. 

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Cursing, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Violence

ghouligan's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Blood, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief

Although the story is historical fiction inspired by West African folklore, the author has created a story that mirrors many current events in the U.S. and across the globe.

valpyre's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious slow-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

3.5

[audiobook]

the worldbuilding here was fairly interesting, but i found this a fairly slow listen overall, and it took me right till around 80% to really get into it.

i did actually appreciate that the two protags spent a lot of time apart in the book -- i think it set them up really well as independent characters with their own goals -- however i was never really taken up with the romantic part of their relationship. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Death, and Animal death

queenie_ofthe_void's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Body horror, Death of parent, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm

Minor: Abandonment, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, War, and Xenophobia

mn0rgan's review against another edition

adventurous emotional slow-paced

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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Self harm

pagebypaigereviews's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

3.5

 "Do not underestimate the strength it takes to be kind in a world as cruel as ours."
--A Song of Wraiths and Ruin

Once every 50 years a comet passes by Ziran, and its people hold a week long celebration to usher in a new era. But unbeknownst to the majority, the comet's passing has even greater significance than just a reason to party. Malik and Princess Karina each harbor dangerous secrets, which leads them on separate, deadly missions to save someone they love.

A Song of Wraiths and Ruin is told from two perspectives: Malik and Princess Karina. Each main character has their own mental health struggles and unresolved trauma. It features a unique magic system and world building. I was fascinated by the concept behind the belief system, but the amount of world building did make it slower for me to get into. Most of the action picks up in the second half of the book. The end was a series of shocking reveals that had me yelling at my book!

One thing that kind of bothered me was the ease with which each of the characters considered murder. I thought there would have been more moral qualms associated with the act. It also seemed a little repetitive at times. At the end, I still had a hard time understanding everything about the magic system, so I hope we get more explanation in the next book. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, and Mental illness

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, and Gore

Minor: Vomit, Slavery, and Genocide