Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

69 reviews

brtvajes1's review against another edition

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medium-paced
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0


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larappenfeller's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

What a journey! I read this book at the request of my husband, and I absolutely understand why he loved it so much. Two broken families, in so many different ways, brought together by love and commitment despite all odds. 

I loved watching the character development and how they each fell apart and came back together across decades. I was so invested in all of their stories individually, but the way they interconnected and the growth each character had along with how it impacted the forgiveness and reconciliation as a whole was absolutely beautiful. 

I wouldn't recommend this book to just anyone, but if you want to feel something.. this is the one! 

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kristinetp's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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
I kinda don’t care for marriage/family dynamics

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readersmultiverse's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.5

This book challenged my thinking and therefore gave me a lot of ‘Ponder The Implications’ moments. Ultimately it is a story that deeply delves into the lives of people, trauma and it’s impacts, forgiveness, and how trauma can look different when viewed from the safe distance of adulthood. It was enlightening to see how perpetrators lose their menace over time as we grow to understand better, and how those we once thought of as victims can change, too. 

It will be difficult to move on to another book after being so absorbed in these characters lives. 

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tracytcamp's review against another edition

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emotional inspiring 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

4.0


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lyndsmarie321's review against another edition

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emotional reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Seemed a little drawn out but relatively kept my interest. 

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mgdsmile's review against another edition

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dark hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

I’m having trouble placing exactly what captivated me in this novel. In Ask Again, Yes, we follow two families whose lives become intertwined through trauma as well as marriage. The depiction of mental illness here was impactful and hopeful, and this book explicates how people can grow through life experience (both related to mental illness and unrelated to it). Reconciliation, commitment, and love are themes explored here. While it’s not necessarily Keane’s main point, I am personally continuing to learn how small of a world it really is, how long life is, and that it matters how we show up and speak and behave, which are prominent threads through this novel.

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mysterymom40's review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective sad tense 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

4.25


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kelsimarirobb's review against another edition

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emotional tense 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

4.0


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moraina's review against another edition

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hopeful reflective sad medium-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? Yes

4.5

Ask Again, Yes is a great story depicting transgenerational trauma and showing how children are affected by parents' actions, mental health, and their own trauma and abuse. I found most of the characters likable or at least understandable and thought the author did a good job showing these different perspectives.

Anne's mental illness, while it impacted all of the other characters, made her a well-developed character in that the reader ends up empathizing and wishing she had gotten treatment sooner/that mental health was viewed differently during the original time frame of the story. I also enjoyed Kate and Peter's interactions and their development of their own choices and who they want to be as people, even though I don't always agree with their choices. Francis, as well, shows development and finally forgiveness which is satisfying to read.

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