Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

52 reviews

mariebrunelm's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-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

In this lengthy historical fiction paying homage to masters of the genre, two women on opposite sides of the social scale meet, deceive and are deceived.

I’m not a big reader of classics and / or historical fiction.I was attracted to this one, recommended by Jen Campbell, for its queer rep and atmospheric prose, and it delivered. I found in there the slow pace and quiet plot of classics, its exploration of character and setting, but without the usual sexism from the authors of the time. The outrageous treatment of women in the Victorian period is absolutely at the foreground of this novel, but it is very much denounced and fought against with the characters’ means (which aren’t much). Some twists and turns awakened my interest when it was lulled to sleep by the sheer length of the novel. On the whole it’s not a favourite but I can see why it’s bound to become one for lovers of classics and historical fiction.

Rep: lesbian characters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Sexism

Moderate: Confinement

Minor: Fatphobia

fran2567's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

Amazingly written, sometimes a bit dark, but worth to keep reading for the incredible plot. Great plottwist and development of women characters. Shows women in the complexity of who they, plays with the ‘saint’ or ‘harlot’ stereotype that tents to be put on women.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent

Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Violence, Murder, Pregnancy, Outing, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Blood, Abortion, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Lesbophobia

If you have trauma of forced institutionalisation or sexual abuse by a family member, then I would not recommend this book. It does have a happy ending and the main characters reclaim their trauma.

zeus_strider's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death, Mental illness, Blood, Abortion, Lesbophobia, and Abandonment

maddramaqueen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Ableism, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Alcohol

ranbara's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-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

5.0

So facking good. What can I say.

It made me giddy. It made me blush, worse than before. It was like liquor. It made me drunk. I drew away. When her breath came now upon my mouth, it came very cold. My mouth was wet, from hers. I said, in a whisper,
'Do you feel it?'

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Mental illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, and Racial slurs

angelacoz's review against another edition

dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Sexual content, and Gaslighting

Minor: Cursing, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Torture, Medical content, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Classism

nicnymh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

It’s a good book in that it was well written, but as a book that is constantly touted as strong queer representation I was disappointed and a little horrified. Readers looking for healthy functional sapphic relationships or storylines should run in the opposite direction. Reads like it was written by a violent man who hates women, especially lesbians. Intense and pervasive sexual harassment of a teen by a family member, grooming and predator behavior. It’s intense, be warned.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Classism

readheadreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

 

A dark and twisted Dickensian lesbian thriller- What a wild ride! Full of horrible people, dastardly schemes and a great gothic atmosphere. Definitely check your content warnings. 

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

erynlasbelin's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

5.0

There aren't enough stars for this book. The writing is gorgeous: the historical elements are well done, the atmosphere is vivid, and the two protagonists have such distinct voices. All the primary characters are complex, realistic, frustrating, sympathetic - even the villains. And the twists! I can't remember the last time a novel kept me on the edge of my seat like this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Outing

Minor: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Drug use, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Alcohol

vagrantheather's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? Yes

5.0

Absolutely adored everything about this Victorian con artist story.

It was sold to me as a lesbian romance. I would not bill it that way lol; there is a bit of a romance but this is not a romance book. It has one sex scene, which is not explicit.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Murder, Lesbophobia, and Outing

Minor: Blood