Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks

50 reviews

jadey_c23's review

challenging dark emotional tense medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

This book has the biggest twist I have ever read. At no point did I see it coming. But it is integral to the story. I found this book incredibly disturbing but also could not put it down and needed to know what would happen at the end. Full of triggering content but an interesting and different read.

lydiaarrghh's review against another edition

dark medium-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

Weird and bleak

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, and Violence

Moderate: Mental illness and Misogyny

lolovg__'s review

challenging dark tense fast-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

limina's review against another edition

dark tense 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

3.0

This was... something. I was interested enough to read the whole thing but it took me well over a month, despite being 250 pages. At times I just found it dull just reading descriptions of Frank patrolling the island, but then I was also fascinated at his compulsions and rituals.  There was a lot of plain old humdrummery peppered with kernels of plot to keep you hooked. I don't think it really paid off, considering how you think it's going to end and then how it actually ends. 

It really makes me think of the horror movie Sleepaway Camp. Also, Esmeralda's death was CRAZY

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Misogyny, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Mental illness, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

lordofdisorder's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cursing, Forced institutionalization, Blood, and Medical content

Minor: Ableism and Racism

jully_bean's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

sheeprustler's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

wathav's review

challenging dark emotional medium-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? Yes

5.0

Another I want to reread and will occasionally recommend. I still think about it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Mental illness, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Cursing, Deadnaming, and Vomit

danipowl's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder

night_shift's review

dark reflective 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

2.75

I dunno, man. Had some darkly funny bits but I called the ending (although wavered here and there when clues were "resolved") about a quarter of the way in. I can see where this was probably shocking and I was deff uncomfortable with the frequent animal deaths, but something about this felt like it was trying to say something but even Banks didn't know until that very last chapter where he tried to bring it all together (not entirely successfully, imo)
I guess also this wasn't going to be my jam from the start as I'm not a fan of the sociopath/serial killer POV. That said, Frank really is a unique voice and it doesn't waver.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death

Moderate: Alcoholism and Body horror

Minor: Child death and Mental illness