Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Zaginione z Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman

7 reviews

feathers4bookmarks's review against another edition

dark emotional informative fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

This book was incredible! Asylum stories always draw me in, and this one is the most incredible novel I’ve read regarding an asylum to date. The depictions are graphic and make you feel like you can smell what do, heart pounding in tandem with the characters. The story is tragic and the institution and premise are real, making this an eye-opening experience. The author did a wonderful job paying homage to the facts and resources in her Author’s Notes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Confinement, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Blood, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Drug use, and Forced institutionalization

the_romance_bookie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

This is a rough read.  Good, but mental institutions freak me out and this was such a tragic novel about some of the history behind America’s poor handling of mental illnesses in the past.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Grief, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Blood, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Rape, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, and Sexual assault

mnlarson's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Vomit, Child death, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Excrement, Mental illness, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Torture, and Gore

daralexandria's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Medical content, Mental illness, Vomit, Abandonment, Ableism, Excrement, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Sexual harassment

Minor: Rape and Sexual assault

_theliteraturevillian_'s review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative medium-paced

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

4.0

Mind 👏🏾 Blown 👏🏾

Sage believed for six years her sister died of pneumonia only to find out at sixteen, her twin sister is being held at Willowbrook State School, “home” of the mentally declined. Sage takes a trip to Willowbrook to visit her sister and from there her life will never be the same. 

I was rooting for Sage from beginning to end. Every experience she went through I felt with her to the point I was tearing on the train. To know that this story was inspired by true events made me even more emotional. To know that actual people, actual children had suffered, died at Willowbrook makes my stomach churn with disgust. Being a psych grad, I could go on and on about state institutions but we’ll leave that for another day. 

2011 I received a letter from CSI (College of Staten Island) congratulating me on being accepted to their school. I turned down the offer due to the commute only for CSI to pop back into my life in the most unexpected way. What use to be Willowbrook State School is now the home of CSI. Definitely glad I turned them down 😩 ANYWAYS…

Character development ✅ 
Consistent tension✅
Engaging from start to finish✅
With a touch of history✅ 

Thank you @EllenMarieWiseman for teaching those of us who had no idea about Willowbrook. 

Is this a MUST READ or PASS? 

ITS A MUST READ

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Vomit, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Ableism, Alcohol, Child abuse, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

funsizesteffi1104's review against another edition

I found this book and the descriptions of Willowbrook extremely upsetting. I think it affected me so much because this happened to real people.  I was upset I couldn’t go on because I loved the premise.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Chronic illness, Excrement, Death, Kidnapping, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gore, Medical content, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Vomit, Ableism, Bullying, Confinement, Body shaming, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, and Physical abuse

hannahbannah's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Stalking, Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Infertility, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Body horror, Death, and Drug abuse