Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka

7 reviews

bon_xx's review

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia and Terminal illness

Moderate: Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, and Miscarriage

Minor: Child death

balfies's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.75

For the swimmers, the pool is at the centre of their lives. The swimmers' most sacred rule is to be kind to Alice, who is losing her memory. Then inexplicable cracks emerge in the pool.

An incredibly affecting piece of autofiction about having a parent with Alzheimer's, and the daily griefs of watching a loved one's sense of self give out under them. 

I've never read one of Otsuka's full novels, but if they're all as moving, beautiful, and precise as this then I'm gonna have to bump them up the list. Read if you like Crying in H Mart or No One is Talking About This.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Mental illness, Medical content, and Dementia

Minor: Confinement and Genocide

heatherjchin's review

challenging emotional mysterious sad slow-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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia, Grief, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Death of parent and Terminal illness

Minor: Medical content, Death, Child death, and Mental illness

tindin's review

emotional reflective sad

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Dementia, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Mental illness, Child death, Confinement, Miscarriage, War, and Medical content

Minor: Abandonment, Racism, and Xenophobia

katieamelia's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Mental illness

venetiana's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Grief, Miscarriage, and Terminal illness

Minor: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Body shaming, Car accident, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Child death, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual harassment, War, and Ableism

austenite93's review

emotional informative sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Mental illness, and Dementia

Moderate: War and Child death