Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

You'd Look Better as a Ghost by Joanna Wallace

21 reviews

haileyhardcover's review against another edition

dark funny fast-paced

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

5.0

Claire sees people as ghosts before they die. That’s how she knows it’s time for her to kill them. Claire has been getting away with murder (literally) for years, but now, someone knows her secret…

I absolutely loved every page of this book. Never has a serial killer been funnier! Claire quickly became one of my favorite book characters of all time. I don’t know that you’re supposed to love a serial-killing sociopath, but in Claire’s defense, they were bad people! …mostly 👀 

I had no idea how this book was going to end! Wallace did a fantastic job of not revealing too much too early so you didn’t figure it all out before Claire did and the book was gripping the whole way through. 

If you love a thriller and deadpan British humor, this is the book for you!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Dementia, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Torture, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism

snarkycrafter's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

This book was so incredibly unhinged in the best way! Claire was so…off, and yet she was hilarious (if you like dark humor)! 

I like that we got her origin story sprinkled throughout the book. 

Life isn’t a film, and in the real world people listen carefully to rhetoric but are rarely persuaded to change their minds. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Suicide, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse

delaney_de_spain's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Dementia, Kidnapping, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Alcohol

elizabethbest's review against another edition

dark funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

sn0w0's review against another edition

dark funny informative lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

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

3.75

The UK specific racism was highly informative. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

ashleyj_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Suicide, Blood, Dementia, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Addiction, Child abuse, Torture, and Stalking

kimmytanzone's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

A good, quick, and easy read. But not my favorite book. There was 2 twists I didn’t expect, but I was hopeful for a different outcome at the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

badgerceereads's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

It was enjoyable read I found it funny not in a laugh out loud way but entertaining and few laughs along the way. I never would have guessed the end I couldn’t guess honestly. It was great writing and I can’t wait to read more of this authors books. I’m truly delighted I only had one minor issue and it was personal so otherwise great read 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

Minor: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Torture, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, and Stalking

ninahuynh's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

The main reason why this is not a 5/5 stars even though I enjoyed the book is that

there is all this build up to Claire setting up the perfect revenge kill for Deb and Vampire Smoker/Gary yet nothing happens with it and instead, they are taken to the court system for trial. THAT felt anti-climatic and out of character for her... unless she is planning on offing them later somehow when they are inside..??

It was interesting to feel sympathy for her and root for her as she is mowing down all these people, yet it gives a comforting relief when the ugly characters get the hammer to the head (figuratively-and literally for some-).

I wonder if we got a chapter with the pov of the dad, like an epilogue or something,  what his thoughts on Claire would be.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

jenniferropell's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Suicide, Torture, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship

Minor: Addiction, Confinement, Drug use, and Forced institutionalization