Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Bass Rock by Evie Wyld

16 reviews

any_bethany's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

A brutal, visceral and important portrait of male violence and the way it distorts, destroys and stains lives.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Murder, Rape, Infertility, Mental illness, Violence, Death, Grief, Sexual violence, and Torture

my_a's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexism, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Rape, Alcohol, Misogyny, Murder, Hate crime, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Stalking, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Grief, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Sexual assault

Moderate: War, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

horizonous's review

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death

Moderate: Grief, Gore, Mental illness, and Death

Minor: Violence, Rape, Alcoholism, Miscarriage, and Forced institutionalization

◦ Mental illness = Anxiety, depression

abbie_'s review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

3.0

I finished The Bass Rock earlier in the week, and while it started out really strong, it ended up only being a middling read for me. I feel like Wyld had a great story with Ruth and Viviane, but then her publisher was like nah I think three would be better, so she had to quickly weave in Sarah’s storyline. It truly felt forgotten about, her share of chapters was nowhere near equal and every time I came across one it’d take me ages to remember what had been happening.

It’s not an easy read, as each of the narratives follows three generations of women, against the backdrop of the Scottish coast, whose lives are constantly being determined by the men in their lives. I found Viviane’s storyline the most compelling, especially with the addition of Maggie, a sex worker down on her luck who pulls no punches. Ruth’s storyline was also engaging, as she struggles to adjust to being a mother figure to her husband’s young boys, still grieving the death of their mother. But at times I thought Wyld was trying to tackle too many tough topics at once and as a result, they weren’t done quite enough justice.

Overall, a slightly muddled read that felt a bit heavy handed at times, but not mad I read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Rape, Death, Death of parent, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Grief, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Pedophilia

catha1na's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Murder, Misogyny, Rape, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Sexism, Self harm, Death, Child death, Mental illness, Infidelity, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Adult/minor relationship

franceselsie's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Murder, Stalking, Infidelity, Drug use, Grief, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Violence, Mental illness, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Rape, Suicide, Misogyny, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Sexual content, Vomit, Cursing, and Animal death

azebrareads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Classism, Infertility, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Medical content, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexual assault, Ableism, Bullying, Torture, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Dementia, Fire/Fire injury, Animal death, Body shaming, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicide attempt, Stalking, Violence, Child death, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Death, Forced institutionalization, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders

serendipitysbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective 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

4.0

 
Bass Rock is the interwoven stories of three women from three different eras - Sarah in the 1700s, Ruth in the post World War II era, and Viviane in contemporary times. The stories of all three women unfold on the rugged coast of Scotland and, sadly, male violence plays a key role in the stories of all three women.

As I read I couldn’t help admiring the skill and control with which the story was crafted. The structure was really interesting. Each chapter opens in the present, then moves back through Ruth’s story to Sarah’s, before moving forward via Ruth to Viv again. Interspersed are accounts of other, nameless, women being attacked. Each woman’s story is narrated in a different fashion - Viv’s by herself in the first person, Ruth’s in the third person but from her perspective, while Sarah’s story is told in the first person the son of a vicar who provided her with shelter. Careful readers will notice links between the women and their stories - objects, characters, lines and more recur. Additionally, the atmosphere is suitably dark and ominous. The location is isolated, the coastline rugged and threatening, the weather frequently dark, wet and windy. Then there is the slightly spooky house and strange noises in the night.

I was delighted to see tickling included as an integral part of this story. All too often tickling is perceived as innocuous and good fun. Sometimes it is. But, if unwanted and non-consensual, it is definitely not. Wyld did a great job of emphasising that fact, portraying it as part of a continuum of violence against women.

While each individual story isn’t necessarily unique, linking them together and recounting them as one increases their power and highlights the persistence of men’s violence against women. Despite centuries of advances in many areas male violence continues to blight women’s lives.

I can’t say I enjoyed this book. Enjoyed is too trite. And I was too busy raging. As I should have been. But I was definitely engrossed by it, and I admired the skill with which it unfolded and the power that it carried. A worthy winner of the 2021 Stella Prize. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Mental illness and Miscarriage

rosalind's review

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Murder, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Gaslighting, Body horror, Mental illness, Child abuse, Self harm, Rape, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Grief, Forced institutionalization, and Blood

Minor: Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Abortion, Car accident, Confinement, and Cursing

mscarlettc's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Stalking