Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Veronika decide morir by Paulo Coelho

14 reviews

tiinamiau's review against another edition

inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting

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.

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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.

eva_hihi_'s review against another edition

reflective sad 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

1.25

It just bored me. There wasn't really anything of value I got from the book. The only message I got was a really "I'm 14 and this is deep" sort of message, that you can also find on an instagram page for motivational quotes.
At some point, the author writes about himself in the third person and describes how he heard about this story and talks about himself. That was really weird because it just came out of nowhere and has no relevance whatsoever to the rest of the book.
Now that I finished the book I can kinda see why he added that part but still... it was just a waste of time.

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Content Warnings

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

elikareads's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness

Moderate: Grief