Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

9 reviews

justagir1's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship

Moderate: Bullying, Eating disorder, Medical content, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship

Minor: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis

chemeducator's review against another edition

4.0

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness

Moderate: Body horror, Medical content, Grief

azk's review against another edition

4.0

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Eating disorder

Minor: Infidelity, Mental illness, Grief

limina's review against another edition

3.75

emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I liked this book enough. Others described it as uneventful, I equate it to a slice of life genre like in anime and manga. I marked a content warning for ED, because her relationship with food could be triggering for some folks out there.  I do like how Rose became as she grew up. The ending left me wanting

more about her dad and Joseph's abilities. It's also just unclear to me if Joseph is only mentally ill or if his special ability has something to do with his disappearances. I know it's meant to be ambiguous but still

.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder

Minor: Infidelity, Mental illness

waytoomanybooks's review against another edition

2.5

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

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This book was a gut punch. It was consistently sad the whole way through, but it ends on a hopeful note, at the very least. It's about an emotionally broken family that never heals. It's about childhood disappointments that turn into regrets in adulthood. It's about not fitting in, no matter your age or position in life. This is not a pick-me-up and does not take the tack of “it gets better,” but it is beautifully written. The gorgeous language is what made me keep turning the pages, and quickly, too, but overall, the story was lackluster. Which is disappointing because I could see what the novel could’ve been with another round of editing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abandonment

Moderate: Body horror

radfordmanor's review against another edition

3.75

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Toxic friendship

sssssoup's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Okay so. What the fuck.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Medical content, Grief

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Toxic friendship

mixyplixl's review against another edition

4.0

emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness

bencaroline's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Mental illness

Moderate: Ableism, Confinement, Infidelity, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Grief

Minor: Addiction, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Terminal illness, Death of parent

The addiction I perceive in this book is so nontraditional, even magical, that I didn't give it more than a "minor" designation, but to me, the theme of addiction is pervasive. The disordered eating in this book is similarly magical, but because the book is centered around food and eating and the protagonist's struggle with these things, I marked it as 'graphic.'