Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Pearl by Siân Hughes

9 reviews

nialiversuch's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, Grief, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child death, and Abandonment

Moderate: Infidelity, Sexual content, and Pregnancy

notthatcosta's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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? Yes

4.75

An achingly beautiful book that is one of the most visceral and resonant depictions of grief and loss I've seen represented in literature. The magical realist elements are incredibly wistful and beautiful, especially considering the 'real world' aspects are so...real. 

I would give this 5* but the quality dipped so much in chapters 11-13 that it almost ruined the book for me. I guess I just find bratty, angsty teenagers insufferable in any and every form and context.

Overall, one of the most impactful novels I've read in recent memory, and to know that the story was very much informed by Sian Hughes' own experiences and childhood makes it even more special.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Child death, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Blood, and Death of parent

Minor: Pregnancy

eilidhmacq's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Child death, Death, Self harm, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Blood

e11en's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Self harm, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Child death and Toxic relationship

corrina_milito's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Mental illness, and Abandonment

Moderate: Child death and Suicide

velvet_young's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm

fiberreader's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Self harm, Mental illness, and Death of parent

serendipitysbooks'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 When Marianne was eight her mother disappeared and nobody knows what happened to her. Pearl looks at Marianne’s life and the impact that loss had on her. It is told from the perspective of an adult Marianne who is now a mother herself. The changing impact of grief and loss is a key theme. So too the elusive and changing nature of memories. At different stages in her life Marianne focuses on different memories of her mother, remembers different things about her and her disappearance, and processes and understands those memories differently. Mental health issues are covered in some detail including depression, post-partum depression, and disordered eating so proceed with caution if those are triggers for you. While the story has a big focus on mothering - the way Margaret mothered Marianne, the impact of the loss of that mothering, and the way Marianne mothers her own daughter, fathering also features prominently. Edward was quiet, mired in his own grief and the struggle of being a single parent, clearly trying his best, and brought a stable, reliable and loving presence. His patience with Marianne arguably veered too much into laissez-faire territory, yet he really stepped up when she had a post-partum mental health crisis. The blurb emphasises Marianne’s focus on the medieval poem The Pearl and her efforts to represent it through art. This does feature but not to the extent the blurb lead me to expect. The prose somehow managed to be both restrained yet poetic. I found it almost hypnotic at times. Each chapter begins with a section of a nursery rhyme or similar. I liked the way these referenced the atmosphere of Marianne’s childhood, and the way they formed an enduring bond between Marianne and her mother. This is a sensitive, subtle story. I enjoyed my reading experience but I’m not sure it’s a book that will stick with me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Child death, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Self harm

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

borumi's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.25

After reading the hardships and braveness of the main character in Nightcrawling I felt that I couldn’t sympathise so much with so much of the acting out and immaturity of the main character who was so spoiled by both parents even after she was a grown up mother of her own daughter. It’s like she takes up one puppy just to fill up her emptiness and doesn’t really think or plan over the responsibilities that come along with it. Maybe it’s a bit harsh but I think I’ve had enough of her whining and ranting by the middle of the book.

The twist in the end was too abrupt and subtle to have a major impact on the whole.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness