Reviews tagging 'Pregnancy'

Sorrow and Bliss, by Meg Mason

74 reviews

toriauricht's review

challenging dark emotional funny sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Violence and Suicide attempt

Minor: Pregnancy

edgaranjapoe's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Violence, Domestic abuse, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Medical content

Minor: Cursing, Medical trauma, Self harm, Cancer, Death of parent, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Car accident, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Grief, and Abortion

citrusboombox's review

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

Remarkable

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, and Suicidal thoughts

katierobertsonshaddix's review

mysterious 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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Suicide, Death, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship

afsanak's review

emotional funny sad slow-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Pregnancy

coffeespooncait's review

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Alcohol, Miscarriage, Addiction, and Alcoholism

Minor: Abortion and Death of parent

readersreadingnook's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Pregnancy, Grief, Mental illness, and Self harm

nzmerchant's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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? It's complicated

4.25

I love that for once, mental illness was not romanticised or glamorised. This book cast a very real and raw depiction of life with someone who has a mental illness. It was a tough read especially watching Martha’s outburst and how she was self destructive in some instances. But it sent a very important message about how people with mental illness are not condemned to a life of being alone and unloved. I think ultimately what helped Martha

Spoiler

in addition to her finally accurate diagnosis was the harsh reality presented by her family members. And her ability to take her ego down a notch and make amends.

For that I really respect her as a character and feel inspired.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Miscarriage

cloud_animals's review

emotional funny reflective sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Self harm, Violence, and Death of parent

kell_xavi's review

funny hopeful sad medium-paced

3.0

Sorrow and Bliss is well-written and funny, but it also wasn’t what I wanted. I approached this book from an autistic and queer perspective, and what this book achieves leaned into neurotypical and cisheteronormative romantic ideologies more than I’d like. The unsaid diagnosis read to me like a lessening, a misappropriation of symptoms or traits to be read by women unfamiliar with mental illness and neurodivergence; this perspective isn’t the only one, but for me, instead of feeling relatable, in solidarity, this novel and Martha’s narration was alienating. 

While Martha names her own changing or becoming more/less herself throughout the novel, the events and people she is framed beside didn’t allow me to see a fullness of character. It’s as though we’re always skipping ahead to the next dramatic personage, scalding comment, or romantic moment. Mason attempts something interesting in a woman’s reckoning with mental illness, and she does hit on something true in some moments, but the core of Martha’s desires and the shape of the story itself were hollow overall. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, and Miscarriage