Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Veronika decide morir by Paulo Coelho

28 reviews

geektastically's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

1.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

The way mental illness is discussed in this book is not great.

sabbcm's review against another edition

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

lisannelouwerse's review against another edition

dark informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

I'm normally not one to leave written reviews but this was such an interesting story! 

I read The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho a few months back and I loved it, so when I saw this book I just started reading it right away without looking up what it was about. I mean, I could have guessed from the title, but I was still quite triggered by the beginning of this book. Coelho talks about suicide the same way you and I talk about the weather. However, once used to its style, this book is about so much more than a woman who wants to die. It's about love, self-discovery and spirituality. It's about the norms of our society. And moreover, it gives a small but very important answer to the question: "What's the point of living?". 

I would recommend this book to anyone who feels a bit lost or stuck in their life. This book will definitely give you some food for thought. 

One of my favourite quotes (there are so many) :
 "Madness is the inability to communicate your ideas. It's as if you are in a foreign country able to see and understand everything that's going on around you, but incapable of explaining what you need to know or of being helped, because you don't understand the language they speak there. We've all felt that. And all of us, one way or another, are mad."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

sophie_kiss's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Medical content, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Drug use, Emotional abuse, War, and Injury/Injury detail

tuhdais06's review against another edition

dark hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Mental illness, and Medical content

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.

tales_of_erasmo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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

This book was intense. The chapters were short enough, that it felt very fast paced. I think that a lot of what's covered in this book is important. I found the main twist predictable, but was still an overall good story with an important message. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis