Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho

30 reviews

aleilvandrea's review against another edition

adventurous emotional fast-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Abandonment, Confinement, Death, Dementia, Gaslighting, Terminal illness, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Drug use, and Panic attacks/disorders

cultbyproxy's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

veronika decides to die to escape the mundanity of her life. she isn’t depressed, or vengeful, or even insane. she is simply attempting to fast track what she believes will be a cyclical life of ennui, towards the one inevitable fate that awaits us all: death. despite her failed attempt, her heart is said to be irreversibly damaged. death is definitively days away, but even that prognosis will not suffice. 

she wants to die, but on her own terms.

inspired by paulo coelho’s own life, seen in brief self inserts in which he briefly relays his experience of being institutionalised three time, we follow veronika on a fresh path as she becomes acquainted with her fellow patients. if you’re looking for a plot heavy novel with twists and turns, this might not be it. with her days said to literally be numbered, the characters are the life sustaining breath that keeps us tethered to veronika’s story and her growth appears exponential in wake of the little time she has left. 

although it isn’t very plot heavy, it is interesting to see the different perspectives of certain characters, their treatment and the biases and connotations of mental health simply reduced in coelho’s style. the depictions are not necessarily world-bending, but rather a reminder of the views and philosophies that culminate into the pretence that is society. the goals, expectations and desires we squash for the sake of “normalcy”. and the sanctity and tranquility that can be found in detaching from social norms with others who all want the same thing. an escape. from mental illness, from responsibility, and even from life itself. which begs the big question: “what does it mean to be crazy?” when we’re all a little bit mad?

veronika decides to die can simply be described in the words of a random tweet i came across two months ago: “the arc of my 20s is discovering that heartbreak, sadness, and suffering are not that bad. the real enemy is ennui. i’m not afraid of bad local optima, i’m afraid of flat energy landscapes.”

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Mental illness, and Suicide

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

jhabelita's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

2.0

It was okay. There are nice quotes about life that I liked but nothing much of the plot that made me stick 100%. I just powered through it. Thanks to audiobook!

The story is not all about Veronika's failed suicide, it also tackled Mari's life as a lawyer and a wife and Eduard, a 17-y/o schizophrenic and Veronika's love interest.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness

Moderate: Sexual content and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

markbernstiel's review against another edition

inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

liri_reads's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

The story began extremely promising and I loved reading about all of the main characters stories and motives, but some parts were extremely weird and irritating (yes I’m mainly referring to the author’s self-insert in the story) + maybe it’s just me but…

Veronika surviving was disappointing and more predictable than her dying

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Medical trauma, Sexual content, and Medical content

Minor: Vomit

klimatyczny_bluszcz's review against another edition

dark sad medium-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

2.0

well... i think that would be the last time i read Paulo Cohelo. pathetic. nothing new. and Veronika is such a male gaze written character

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

prehistoricfern's review against another edition

inspiring reflective 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Suicide attempt, and Panic attacks/disorders

annsfictworld's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective medium-paced

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

3.0

I would say that the book was actually pretty good, I enjoyed reading through everyone's stories and their journey in finding purpose once again. However, it was a bit hard to stay focused, but I think that it's just a me problem, because it's also not my style of book. I've read quite a lot of physiological themed fiction and I'd have to choose them over this one. Nevertheless, I think it's a book worth reading. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicide, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Mental illness

Moderate: War, Sexual content, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Addiction

elio_'s review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicide attempt

sterrestardust's review against another edition

dark hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Drug use, Torture, Gaslighting, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, and Medical content