Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah

26 reviews

stephsparkles's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer and Mental illness

Moderate: Violence and Death of parent

Minor: Drug abuse, Murder, Sexual content, and Sexual assault

shyleek's review against another edition

emotional inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

I'm not a sci-fi reader but this alien book has me intrigued. The characters in this books were so well created and deep without feeling like I was reading character descriptions for 200 pages. A predictable read but in the way that you were pretty sure how it was going to end but knew it wasn't going to be easy to get there and wanted to go on the adventure with Gabe, Jo, and Ursa. 

I don't have triggers when I read normally but check the trigger warnings because there is some sensitive material. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Gun violence, Animal death, Child death, Violence, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Blood, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Cancer, Medical content, and Infertility

Moderate: Addiction

Minor: Terminal illness and Drug use

beccaj11's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I could not put it down! It was one of those books that I was thinking about throughout the day waiting to get back to reading it. I loved the characters and the unique plot. In some ways, it had some really predictable tropes (that I personally enjoy and find comforting), but in other ways was incredibly unique and unexpected. The way the author crafted Ursa’s story and approached the trauma she experienced blended with this very real sense of magic was beautiful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Murder, Infidelity, and Cancer

Minor: Animal death, Mental illness, and Drug abuse

caseybottiger's review against another edition

emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence and Cancer

Moderate: Death of parent and Mental illness

Minor: Sexual assault and Drug abuse

eheath08's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Animal death, Death of parent, Abandonment, Cancer, and Child abuse

Moderate: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, and Addiction

kellimartin22's review against another edition

emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

I loved these characters and their relationships so much. The author encapsulated so many different themes, but the thing I loved most was how the reader was unsure of where Ursa came from and how she really ended up at Jo’s house. I was definitely not expecting the ending, but I was too caught up in the beautiful story to be trying to predict what would happen. Gabe’s character also brought forth an interesting element in terms of mental health and family dynamics without overshadowing the rest of the story. I also loved all the bird research going on, and was not surprised to learn the author really was a specialist before becoming a novelist. Best book I have read in 2023 so far!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cancer, and Mental illness

cin19's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Grief, and Mental illness

Moderate: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, and Drug abuse

Minor: Death of parent

jennyofark's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Minor: Mental illness, Cancer, and Child abuse

beata's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced

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

4.0

It would've gotten another 0,5*, if it wasn't for the extramarital affair subplot. The way Jo was like "yas girl" about Katherine fucking her husband's best friend and getting pregnant (and forcing her husband and lover to have a "confrontation" about two of them being snivelling pieces of shit, except Jo of course stands on the side of cheaters). What? Sorry, but you can't spin affair like that. I found her to be very dismissive of Gabe's feelings about it. In general I didn't like her attitude towards him at times. When she was trying to dismiss his mental health I wanted to smack her. I'm glad Gabe called her out on it. Or how she forced him to shave even though he told her why he kept beard.
I'm not sure if it was intentional or if the author didn't notice it, but even though later on the affair is presented as something good *eye roll*, Lacey informs the audience and Jo (who doesn't give a fuck, because of course she doesn't) that Arthur was actually broken up about the affair and Katherine's pregnancy. So to see everyone treat that and Katherine and George's reunion like something good was fucked up.
Oh and Gabe's "I now know love, so I understand people having affairs"? I thought you were better Gabe.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Drug abuse, Animal death, Mental illness, and Infidelity

Minor: Pedophilia and Alcoholism

sarahmaemae's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious slow-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Mental illness, Cancer, and Child abuse

Moderate: Abandonment and Drug abuse

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Medical trauma