Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Carrie by Stephen King

47 reviews

lavieenrose's review against another edition

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

4.25


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frogcake_'s review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5


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mollykat3b621's review against another edition

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dark sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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stormwise's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

4.0

I'd like to have words with whoever penned the tag line featured on my copy of this book. "Trust her and she will lead you into a nightmare" - if the 'she' in question is intended to be Carrie, and I can't see any reason why that wouldn't be the intention the way this cover is laid out, then it's incredibly misleading! 
At no point does Carrie ever abuse a position of trust to harm anyone; it's everyone else who abuses her trust, ultimately leading to the horrific climax of this novel. 

It's always exciting to experience a famous piece of media for the first time - you know what happens but you don't know HOW. I'm yet to watch any film adaptation of Carrie so this was my first foray into the story, armed only with the knowledge of the iconic prom scene. 

King uses an epistolary structure, weaving excerpts from news reports, scientific studies and personal accounts into the narrative, foreshadowing the horror to come - somewhat ironically, considering how widely known the story now is almost 50 years later. I still enjoyed how the tension was built leading up to the climax and it was an effective way of showing the impact of Carrie's actions. 

As for Carrie White herself...I can't see her as a villain.
Subjected to the controlling abuse of her mother, the bullying of her peers and the indifference of the other adults in her life, she is a victim of neglect and cruelty. The overtures of kindness made by Sue, Tommy and Miss Desjardin are too little, too late. Carrie's awareness of her treatment was particularly heartbreaking: "I don't like to be tricked. Do You People think you can just go on tricking me forever?" she says to Tommy, desperately trying to defend herself from further pain. It's bittersweet that it is as she begins to trust her classmates and enjoy herself that the worst betrayal at all occurs. Not gonna lie, I'd probably go on a murderous rampage too!

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ahalexont's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense fast-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5


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writtenontheflyleaves's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

 “First came the blood. Then came the power.”
🌟🌟🌟🌟
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Going for a spookier vibe for the pic today in honour of my first Stephen King read! Carrie totally surprised me and was a great way to kick off my October reading.
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👑 The plot: Carrie White has always been an outcast. Born to a fanatical Christian mother, she is victimised throughout her life both at home and at school, until a traumatic event in a senior year gym class changes everything. The torment she receives at the hands of her classmates - and the repercussions it has for them - sets in motion a chain of events that ends in bloody disaster as Carrie discovers the latent supernatural power that has been brewing inside of her for years.
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Not having lived under a rock my whole life, I was familiar going in with the general concept of “Carrie”. At least, I knew there was a prom night and lots of blood. I thought knowing this would dull my reading experience, but I was pleasantly surprised to find it didn’t at all!
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Carrie is told through a mixture of found documents (interviews, book excerpts, newspaper reports) and more straightforward storytelling as King pieces together the events leading up to Prom Night, the infamous event when Carrie’s powers are unleashed. The novel makes clear almost from the outset that something terrible is going to happen, and that its goal is to bring this terror slowly into focus. This was great news for me, because it meant that my imprecise knowledge of the story not only matched but enhanced the storytelling style.
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I was definitely gripped by this book, but if you’re looking for something scary I’m not sure this is it. “Carrie” left me feeling more melancholy than anything else - sad at how realistically cruel Carrie White’s tormentors were, how inescapable humiliation feels when you’re a teenager.
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🔥 Read it if you like the storytelling style of The Handmaid’s Tale, and stories that unpick the ugly and cruel aspects of humanity. Or if you super hate teenagers because they do not get a good rap in this one!!
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🚫 Avoid it if you don’t like blood or violence, or if you think that reading about bullying would seriously depress you. Ngl lads it gets bleak af. 

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briartherose's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced

4.0


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