Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

14 reviews

jackalexdale's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, and Abortion

heathergeorge's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Moderate: Drug use and Abortion

Minor: Cursing and Medical content

katierobertsonshaddix's review against another edition

mysterious slow-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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

coffeespooncait's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Miscarriage, and Alcohol

Minor: Abortion and Death of parent

gtrue21's review against another edition

• 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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Abortion, and Pregnancy

zara89's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment

carlytenille's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Pregnancy

radfordmanor's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Abortion, and Alcohol

m_sotos's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.25

I really appreciated Mason’s handling of the topic of severe mental illness in this text. I personally think that there is a LONG-standing trend in literature/several forms of media to unwittingly glamorize a tragic form of depression in young/beautiful /desirable women (Anna Karenina, Madame Bovary - women written by men). There is something mysterious and ‘beautiful’ about their ‘madness’/sadness that only serves to reaffirm their status in the texts as being somehow ‘special’ and unlike everyone else. This book could have easily slipped into that pattern, but it never does. Mason acknowledges that tendency in a subtle, not overdrawn way and even incorporates it into the characters’ own struggles in understanding the protagonist (Martha), who suffers from an often debilitating mental illness. I listened to this as an audiobook and loved it, but wish I’d been able to read some of Mason’s words/sentences on paper because there are specific lines that I think would have struck me even more powerfully than they did in the ear had I been able to see them and mull them over in my line of vision. An emotionally heavy read for sure, but so rewarding!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

phoevincent's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful sad fast-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: Chronic illness and Mental illness

Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Minor: Infidelity and Medical content