Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

20 reviews

books4em's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

This book is all vibes, no plot. Not going to lie, was not a fan of this book at all. I related to the feelings of relief and understanding when she got her diagnosis, but that was about it. It’s a hot mess and the side characters are all over the place as well. They often claim to be doing their best to help the MC, but that “best” is a rally low bar. I also thought it should’ve ended at the journal scene. The ending is a good ending for this book, but I still don’t think the last 30ish pages were necessary. Won’t be rereading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Alcohol, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Self harm and Panic attacks/disorders

writingcaia's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.5

I was not convinced at first by the way it rambled on. These weird ravings of a 40 year old (my age give or take) women that seemed filled with so much anger towards everyone including herself, it felt a bit too much.
As it advanced I became addicted, there was a love story and a family story, and I wanted to know more, even though I felt a huge clench in my heart every time something written was so close to what I’ve felt or feel sometimes.
The anger, the anguish, the self destructiveness, it’s present as much in the voice of the writer as is in the story which makes it feel so real. And, I guess it is. Not in the sense of the actual story not being fiction but in the sense that the feelings, the arguments, the breakings, the misdiagnose, the hopelessness and the hopefulness are all real to some of us, they’ve been around us or in us.
I didn’t expect to love this book as much as I did by the end but here it 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Miscarriage and Death of parent

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

afsanak's review against another edition

emotional funny sad 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Pregnancy

readersreadingnook's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Pregnancy, Grief, Mental illness, and Self harm

nzmerchant's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.25

I love that for once, mental illness was not romanticised or glamorised. This book cast a very real and raw depiction of life with someone who has a mental illness. It was a tough read especially watching Martha’s outburst and how she was self destructive in some instances. But it sent a very important message about how people with mental illness are not condemned to a life of being alone and unloved. I think ultimately what helped Martha

Spoiler

in addition to her finally accurate diagnosis was the harsh reality presented by her family members. And her ability to take her ego down a notch and make amends.

For that I really respect her as a character and feel inspired.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Miscarriage

bookaholiz's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

This novel took so long to finish but whenever I actually sat down with it I could not put it down. It is so depressingly and spectacularly human, and ironically enough I always read it when I was in public, and had to hold back tears every single time.

Some books are hard to describe with words. But Sorrow and Bliss put me through all the range of emotions in the span of a few pages, and Martha is surely one of the most memorable protagonists I’ve ever read. She is flawed and complicated and compelling, she made you frustrated and hopeless and sympathized and angry and sad with her.

I’m not sure I agree with every message in this book, but it is such a personal narrative that I cannot dispute it either. I especially like the personal touch of not including the actual diagnosis in the book to show that it does not matter what it is, it is valid and you deserve to treat it with the same respect.

Anyway, I just inexplicably adore a sad book that managed to convince you why it has to be so damn sad.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief

Minor: Abortion and Miscarriage

teigancollins's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Miscarriage, and Mental illness

Moderate: Abortion

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

eeviee's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

This is the kind of book you read to remind you of how much you love reading. The kind that you revisit from time to time and still feel gutted by. That one book you read at different stages of your life and find yourself identifying with another character you were least likely to feel any affinity with. It is a character study of a deeply flawed woman in an equally flawed relationship, and how she comes to mend herself in more ways than one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Grief, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Self harm, Abortion, Death, Emotional abuse, and Pregnancy