Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Una educación by Tara Westover

595 reviews

blovessummer's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Really heavy in terms of what Tara went through but exceptionally well written and super interesting.

emmasmidnightlibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

julia_heff's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, Violence, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

krhe's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

2.75

Qué dolor y qué denso de leer. Una mierda de experiencia pero la forma de escribir pues pffff. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Car accident, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

kathleentcarroll's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

2.0

I felt like almost every chapter was unnecessarily filled with traumatic and gory details with very little payoff; I’ve read memoirs from other authors who have experienced traumatic events without feeling like I was reading a slog of someone’s every trauma, but westover couldn’t do that. I also felt like she omitted so much detail about HOW she became educated, achieved these impossible feats, and made it out. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Car accident, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

arachneweaver's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

4.5

Scrupulous memoir (you can tell the author is a historian), lyrical, and carefully fair—which makes the incidents recounted all the more horrific.

If this were a work of fiction, I’d judge it as being too over-the-top, and say that the protagonist is unbelievable and stupid in her actions (abusive brother has just broken her wrist in public? She should scream — not try to cover up for him!) But…it’s a memoir.

_Educated_ is being promoted as a story of a triumph over impossible odds—and it is that—but IMO, it’s a searing indictment of the America’s blind acceptance of abuse and denial of human rights when these take place in the context of religion and/or family. The freedom we espouse should never be the “freedom” of a few powerful men to steal the freedom of women and children.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

jenna0818's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

Every chapter my jaw dropped even further. The writing is so visceral, I felt like I was on the same emotional journey as Tara in her head. It was maddening but honest and caused me to reflect on a lot of themes. I completely believe her accounting of her life, real life is crazier than fiction. Thank you Tara for sharing your bravery and reflection.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Physical abuse, Blood, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Animal cruelty, Violence, and Car accident

afrenette's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

ameliesbookshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark informative sad slow-paced

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Mental illness and Car accident

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, and Racial slurs

nytephoenyx's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

4.5

I really enjoyed this book. It was tugged at my soul more than I liked. The radically religious upbringing delivered from a parent living with mental illness was too relatable on many counts. Westover had it worse, but it was all too familiar. Structurally the book is well-written and thought-provoking. It provides an important glimpse into misunderstood worlds, and I could taste the lingering bitterness in Westover’s writing. And I get it.

Good read, definitely one I want to add to me collection.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexism, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail