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polkadotteapott's review against another edition
dark
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
This book was a DNF -- the main character did some unforgivable stuff that was not treated as such.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Classism
shostakofish's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
+.5 stars because it is a technically solid book. The vocab choices are solid, and grammar/structure is good.
But HOLY SH** this book is so bad. This is not a book about mental illness or mentally ill characters.
This is a book about a bunch of people who are "crazy because they march to the beat of their own drum" all led by a "philosophical" man who should not be a doctor. I was actually continuously waiting for the moment the book would swerve and show that the doctor had been evil all along, but no, the dismissive, pretentious creep is seriously supposed to be a good character.
According to this book, every single mentally ill person is just a troubled artist who needs to be more positive and accept themselves. I'd love to take this author to an actual mental hospital.
Things that happen in this book:
- A mother is condescended to because she would rather see her suicidal daughter than discuss philosophy, this is portrayed as the mother being in the wrong and "shallow"
-A man develops schizophrenia by smoking weed, getting into crystal magic and then getting into a biking accident. His schizophrenia manifests in no negative ways other than him voluntarily disassociating.
-4 people's metal illnesses are "cured" by learning to live life to the fullest
-A mentally able woman undresses and forces a man who does not speak and has thus far been shown to be not mentally able to touch her, after he doesn't willingly continue touching her she masturbates in front of him thinking the whole time about how she loves feeling dominated. This is portrayed as the romantic beginning of a relationship, rather than horrific and absolutely rape/sexual assault.
-A mental hospital is not shown to have any actually mentally ill people. Rather, it has all completely capable people. No patients are shown doing anything that would actually be uncomfortable or require extensive care such as failing to hold in waste, exhibiting violence or inappropriate yelling.
-Incoherence is, 100% of the time, just a smart person who "sees the world differently"
Garbage. Bad book. Awful.
But HOLY SH** this book is so bad. This is not a book about mental illness or mentally ill characters.
This is a book about a bunch of people who are "crazy because they march to the beat of their own drum" all led by a "philosophical" man who should not be a doctor. I was actually continuously waiting for the moment the book would swerve and show that the doctor had been evil all along, but no, the dismissive, pretentious creep is seriously supposed to be a good character.
According to this book, every single mentally ill person is just a troubled artist who needs to be more positive and accept themselves. I'd love to take this author to an actual mental hospital.
Things that happen in this book:
- A mother is condescended to because she would rather see her suicidal daughter than discuss philosophy, this is portrayed as the mother being in the wrong and "shallow"
-A man develops schizophrenia by smoking weed, getting into crystal magic and then getting into a biking accident. His schizophrenia manifests in no negative ways other than him voluntarily disassociating.
-4 people's metal illnesses are "cured" by learning to live life to the fullest
-A mentally able woman undresses and forces a man who does not speak and has thus far been shown to be not mentally able to touch her, after he doesn't willingly continue touching her she masturbates in front of him thinking the whole time about how she loves feeling dominated. This is portrayed as the romantic beginning of a relationship, rather than horrific and absolutely rape/sexual assault.
-A mental hospital is not shown to have any actually mentally ill people. Rather, it has all completely capable people. No patients are shown doing anything that would actually be uncomfortable or require extensive care such as failing to hold in waste, exhibiting violence or inappropriate yelling.
-Incoherence is, 100% of the time, just a smart person who "sees the world differently"
Garbage. Bad book. Awful.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment
merle98's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
0.75
This was probably the worst book I have read in years. After being completely underwhelmed if outright annoyed at Paulo Coelho slapping the reader in the face with supposedly profound moral and philosophical insights in The Alchemist, I was surprised that he was able to take this even further in Veronica Decides To Die. The book more than obviously meant to inspire the readers to "live instead of just existing", "Carpe Diem" and question if "normal" people may not actually be the mad ones. While I agree, that society's perception of what is "normal" is entirely constructed and severely harmful, I don't think this book did anything to dismantle that notion. On the other hand, it was incredibly offensive and dismissive towards anyone suffering from mental illness, suggesting that everyone in the mental hospital was faking their conditions to escape from the real life they couldn't take. The methods employed by the doctors in the book were more than questionable and unscientific. And then there is the sheer misogyny of this book! From claiming that women choose "romantic" ways to die as advertised by Hollywood princesses, to Veronica deciding to die because of boredom, to Veronica deciding to live because she falls in love with a piano-playing nondescript man in the same ward and has an epiphany whilst furiously masturbating in front of him as he is just trying to play the piano...the book is a complete, sexist train wreck. So, Paulo, what does this mean? Veronica just needs to explore her sexuality (and sexually harass a side-character in the process) and find a cute boyfriend and her life suddenly has meaning again? "Yolo" and the loss of any sexual inhibitions as the answer to suicidal tendencies? A complete and utter misrepresentation of mental illness is what this is. Beyond that, just about every character in this book was undeveloped and unlikeable. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
The sole content of this book is the complete misrepresentation of mental illness and may be extremely triggering.
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