Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything by Justine Pucella Winans

15 reviews

pandorasxbox's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Murder

Minor: Drug use and Kidnapping

jacemchale's review

adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

When I finished this book I did "clutch it to [my] chest and think... finally, a book for the anxious queers with a sense of humor" and I loved every second of this book. I especially think that if I had found this book when I was closer to Bianca's age it would've hit even closer to home.
Bianca Torre is afraid of everything, and there's nothing more relatable. We never stop being afraid of everything, it's about continuing on despite the circumstances, and this book manages to impart that message while also being hilarious. This book is great for a range of ages, and queer fearful adults can also get a lot catharsis out of this book.
The humor, the topics (birds, theatre, anime, lesbian sheep, etc), the mystery, are all so engaging.

I'm really overjoyed that I found this book that my library recommended in a "blind date with a book" as having "a surprising amount of birds". There was a surprising amount of birds, but also it brought me a lot of unexpected joy to read something like this.
This book found the right reader ❤️

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Drug use, Racism, Suicide, and Vomit

ashylibrarian's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense 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

4.25

Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything is so much more than a murder mystery. Justine Pucella Winans has crafted a unique storyline with funny, important, and meaningful themes and discussions. 

Bianca works through their fears and questions and challenges who they want to be. Oh, and while doing this, the author throws in a slightly absurd, birdie murder mystery that Bianca witnesses and  is now determined to uncover. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Murder, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Violence, and Kidnapping

cleot's review

adventurous mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Murder

Minor: Animal death

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

Oh, this was a delight. A little bit of a campy thriller, with Bianca figuring out their identity and learning to live with their fear and anxiety. Realizing they aren't as alone as they thought they were. I loved that it felt like this book didn't take itself too seriously, really allowing the characters to shine through. And there's a cute little romance too!

Bianca is definitely the star of the show, but Anderson is a close second. The best friend, and his family becomes like a second family to them. I would definitely read more adventures from them fore sure!

Also, highly recommend the audiobook. Vico Ortiz (from Our Flag Means Death) narrates it and does a fantastic job!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Kidnapping, and Dysphoria

Minor: Drug use and Suicide

gxbi's review

adventurous dark emotional funny lighthearted mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Gun violence, Violence, Xenophobia, Mass/school shootings, and Stalking

kell_xavi's review

emotional funny mysterious

3.0

Strong debut novel. Engaging, smart, snappy, with strong characters and well-written relationships. A few moments in the gender exploration were explanatory in a clunky way, but I related to much of the queer beginning too. It was nice to see it easily incorporated and accepted in the narrative. I liked the soft romance, the caring friendship waiting to get stronger, the siblings and parents and supportive friends. I didn’t connect to the writing of the mom, whose comments seemed insensitive to me—I wasn’t sure what the desired effect was. There are a lot of funny and entertaining moments throughout though, a good mystery that supplies uncomplicated hints along the way, and—if not in the emotions and mental processes around panic and social anxiety—a sense of anxiety as a presence; and courage gaining on it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and Gaslighting

emily_mh's review

hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

Unfortunately I wasn’t super engaged or captivated by this one because of the writing style. The author treats the reader as if they can’t think for themselves; for example, they’ll over-explain a joke, include unnecessary commentary, etc. It just felt too clumsy. Because of the writing style, the overall book was so bloated. Scenes went on for too long and there were scenes that didn’t need to be there at all. It could have been way more investigation-focussed. 

The character development in the MC Bianca was well done, however. The anxiety rep was thorough and it was cool seeing them facing their fears. I also liked seeing them build up their little social spider web of support - very sweet. I do wish Anderson had been given more of an arc; there was room for it regarding his shame around anime but this didn’t go anywhere meaningful. 

I thought the romance was cute! It really encapsulated the shyness of young love, and didn’t distract from the story which was appreciated. I also loved how many times the word lesbian was used. 

But despite these positives, it always came back to the writing style which I never clicked with. 

Rep: lesbian nonbinary MC w anxiety, pansexual Chinese-American LI, queer Black SC, Black trans SC, Black bisexual nonbinary minor character

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, and Violence

Minor: Ableism, Animal death, Cancer, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual content, Suicide, Transphobia, Blood, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Moderate: fainting Minor: menstruation, divorce, internalised misogyny

citrus_seasalt's review

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Gun violence, Blood, and Dysphoria

Minor: Drug use and Suicide

britand's review

adventurous funny mysterious

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Murder

Moderate: Cursing

Minor: Suicide