Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling

28 reviews

maudi's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Body horror, Confinement, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Self harm, and Vomit

Minor: Emotional abuse

emzhay's review against another edition

adventurous 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: Body horror, Death, Gore, Medical content, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Toxic relationship

Minor: Vomit

corvidaeus's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Body horror, Confinement, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Gore, Grief, Medical content, and Vomit

Moderate: Drug use, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Blood

laurajones's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Blood, Medical content, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, and Vomit

samusc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

4.75

This is the second time this month where I've finished a book and can honestly say I've never read anything else quite like this.
The balance of environmental and mental horror was incredible. Gyre is one of the best examples of unreliable narrator I've ever seen.
Gyre and Em have such a toxic relationship, yet manage to save each other from physical death, and work through intense trauma. Gyre's loneliness and Em's desperation are both so palpable. During each chapter I wondered how could the situation get any worse, and it continued to.
Starling has written a raw description of the call of the void, which is unsettling in and of itself.
My partner would love to see a horror video-game adaptation of this work and I agree that this book has strong adaptability.
The only criticism I have is the scene

towards the end when Gyre faces off against the tunneler feels like a dramatic tonal shift from other scenes. I was thrilled to finally see the tunneler and it was terrifying when she first observes it. I understand why, from a characterization perspective, that she shouted at it to turn around and face her, though it felt a little too cinematic to me.

This work is a stunning achievement as a debut novel and iconic addition to horror as a genre. I can't wait to read more of Starling's work.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Mental illness, and Confinement

callmrsmuise's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.5

This book wasn’t my favorite, but there were pros and cons! Pro: It gets really creepy after a while which I liked. Con: I feel like there were a few loose strings (plot holes?) that are left untied in the end. Pro: Enemies to lovers trope, always a plus. Con: It’s not immediately clear that the characters are wlw and the romance happens much later in the story. Pro: Both are BIPOC and wlw!   

Overall, scared lesbians = pretty entertaining. 

Audiobook review: I’m not a huge fan of the way the book is read but doesn’t make or break the book for me. I did think that the author intended for one character to be butch, with a bit more bravado. The reader gave her a much softer, feminine voice. This is a nitpick.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Mental illness and Vomit

aasplund's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Mental illness and Grief

perditorian's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Confinement

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness