Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Girl Friends by Holly Bourne

21 reviews

v1l25's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

leahisdudish's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense slow-paced

2.5

- v feminist which i liked but it didn’t hit the same as other holly bourne’s. i just didnt really gel with jessica and fern’s friendship. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

jazzy_t's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

4.5

Wow. 

Great book, could be a massive eye opener for some people to see how messed up the world is for women. I generally wish the characters well even though they aren't real! Really great book, I felt I was there in Fern's mind. 

The book had been slowly building to the climax, but then I felt the ending was kinda rushed. But still I really enjoyed it. 

The list of all the things expected/happen to women in the last chapter was emotional, and powerful. And like Fern and Jessica we can make the world a better place!

(Lots of triggers so read list before reading!!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Drug use, Rape, and Blood

Minor: Miscarriage

mraybennett's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective fast-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

kellyloubishop's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Alcohol

Moderate: Rape, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Body shaming and Miscarriage

jude7's review against another edition

emotional

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

This book was really emotional and heavy at times but was really good regardless. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, and Stalking

ccassidy98's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Miscarriage

annabelreadsandwrites's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Body shaming, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

eepemma's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, and Alcohol

Minor: Miscarriage and Toxic friendship

ramreadsagain's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful fast-paced

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

4.5

Holly is fast becoming my favourite author for ‘feminist’ contemporary fiction. I also loved Pretending and really want to read her other adult book (I think it’s How Do You Like Me Now?). 

Girl Friends follows two timelines of friendship, conflict, mental health and society. We get a view into the culture of being a teenager in the early 2000’s (about a decade before my time as a ‘98 baby), with some intense scenes highlighting how normalised sexual assault and coercion was for teenage girls. Contrast this with the modern day where we see the effects of exposure to this in the main character (who is also struggling with feelings over never been ‘chosen’ by one of those boys anyway). She is trying to be a ‘good’ feminist and mental health professional while also struggling with internalised feelings of competition with other women as a result of her teenage years. 

It has a lot of themes in common with Pretending, particularly with the same message of other women not being our enemy or competition. 

The writing style is very engaging, combining hard scenes with sometimes amusing internal dialogue. Holly has an amazing way of writing the most relatable female characters and you feel like she can see into your head. 

The only part of this I wasn’t keen on is that

I feel like Jessica’s habit of stealing boyfriends was a bit too exaggerated to then just be blamed on the culture and sexual coercion she grew up with.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Drug use, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, and Alcohol