Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The School for Good Mothers by Jessamine Chan

87 reviews

clo_l's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I really wanted to love this book but I don’t. I was expecting it to be more intense, mind-bending, and full of twists. It was so slow & boring. I don’t hate it, I just don’t particularly like it and I probably wouldn’t recommend it. As a young, new mother who struggles with postpartum depression & anxiety, I can relate to a good bit of things from this book. For that, I appreciate it but honestly, that’s all. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Abandonment

Minor: Self harm, Rape, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Cancer, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Grief, Bullying, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Infidelity, Infertility, Cursing, Child abuse, Car accident, and Blood

laurenlee2158's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Classism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Racism, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

beebalm's review against another edition

emotional mysterious 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

4.25

I would rate the first 25% and last 10% differently than the rest of the book, with it improving as I went on. Lots of questions still unanswered, and I'll admit that my guess for how it would end was close but wrong.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Abandonment, Confinement, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Suicide

Minor: Sexual harassment

nightfaery's review against another edition

It was very difficult to read having just had my first baby 8 months ago and having suffered with mental health issues in the past. The main character, Frida, clearly is struggling with post-partum depression and it is just dizzying and upsetting to read ( which is good writing by the author but a little triggering for me personally). I read some spoilers to find out how it ends

Spoiler

she does not get her daughter back at the end

and it just didn't seem worth it to power through.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Child abuse

mktaylor15's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.5

This was very well written but a warning to any parent, this book will be upsetting and probably traumatic. I was very upset by the end 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Bullying, Mental illness, and Child abuse

Minor: Abandonment and Alcoholism

friendofdorothea's review against another edition

hopeful slow-paced

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

2.5

I think the premise was a lot better than the execution. The book could have been a lot shorter and many parts dragged on. Also since the mothers in the book did do some pretty bad stuff that kind of went against the point that mothers are overly punished for how they parent. Of course it was to the extreme but I think the point of the book could have been stronger if the main character didn’t really do anything and was punished for it. I do think the book made its point but I would recommend the handmaids tale before this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Child abuse, Sexism, Racism, Misogyny, Mental illness, Gun violence, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

cryfest's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Grief, Mental illness, Self harm, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Abandonment, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse

brdietz08's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child death, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Mental illness, and Kidnapping

pjwanders's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Child death, Confinement, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Self harm, Violence, Addiction, Gaslighting, and Medical trauma

k_pelowk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.5

Reading on vacation with my child my sister and her baby, and feeling the  anxiety and fraught decision making, and invisibility of mothering so deeply as I read.  Just finished and ready to start it again. Reminded me of Women on the Edge of Time. The frankness and simplicity of the text complement the character and her story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Abandonment

Incarceration, suicide foster care