Reviews tagging 'Eating disorder'

Anthem by Noah Hawley

9 reviews

david_brent's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Eating disorder, Murder, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Violence

madzsmiled's review

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

This book was particularly hard to read. Not because it was a bad book - it was extremely well written and kept me engaged, even when things slowed down. I struggled with time period - the now. 

I found it extremely anxiety inducing, which was the point. The dystopia created in the book felt possible from the political upheaval to the language and intentions of memes. 

The message is clear - this world has reached the edge, and the younger generations are the ones carrying the burden. 

I thoroughly enjoyed it, as much as I had to contend with my own anxieties about the future. 

Please read all content warnings before reading. This one has quite a few. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Eating disorder, Murder, Child death, Death, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, and Self harm

asquareclaire's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Warning: Between the gratuitous violence and coverage of many dark topics, this may not be for everyone. I'd maybe liken it to philosophy that reads like a Chuck Palahniuk novel. 

Halfway through, I still wasn't sure if I liked this book - I even considered putting it down altogether. Having finished it, however, I will be immediately recommending it to friends & probably buying a few copies to give out. 

"Anthem" is right.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Self harm, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Gun violence, Sexism, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Racism, Mass/school shootings, Racial slurs, Mental illness, and Hate crime

It’s a lot. There’s a point to it, but it’s a lot.

vlawton's review

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Mass/school shootings, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Grief, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, War, Trafficking, Eating disorder, and Adult/minor relationship

tnociti's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Murder, Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Torture, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Trafficking

iordanmoore's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Gore, Murder, Sexual assault, Suicide, Trafficking, Blood, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Rape, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Eating disorder and Pregnancy

ambergrewal's review

dark reflective medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Rape, Suicide, Sexual violence, Racism, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Eating disorder, and Mass/school shootings

amywoolsey_93's review

dark funny tense fast-paced

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

4.25

A scream into the void in novel form. I imagine some people might be turned off by the amount of explaining and editorializing, not to mention the premise involving mass suicide, but I found Anthem weirdly comforting. It's the first fictional work I've encountered that treats the COVID-19 pandemic not as just a weird event but a catastrophe that permanently changed the world. The reality it presents, full of teenage avengers, evil billionaires, and apocalyptic violence, feels truer than the fantasy of normalcy peddled by politicians and the news, where society in its current form is not only logical but desirable and a stable, prosperous future is not only possible but inevitable because the story America (humanity?) tells itself is one with a happy ending. What's more absurd than insisting that an absurd thing is not absurd? Anyway, LOL.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Violence, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Medical content, Eating disorder, and Pedophilia

Minor: Confinement, Mass/school shootings, Self harm, and Vomit

jennsbookshelves's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Antisemitism, Child death, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, and War