Reviews tagging 'Cannibalism'

Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin

10 reviews

maeverose's review against another edition

This is a book I really should’ve dnfed for the sake of my mental health but for some stupid reason kept reading.

The main character, Gilda, is very mentally I’ll. Some parts of this book are really intense, and if you struggle with death ocd, anxiety, hypochondria, suicidal thoughts or alcoholism I’d be cautious about reading this. Gilda’s panic attacks are described in detail, and they’re very frequent. She also has a full on mental breakdown by the end of the book that is also described in detail and drawn out for a while. It isn’t explicitly stated at any point but she is clearly autistic/audhd coded, and it seems as if she is undiagnosed in the story, she questions why she is the way she is, and definitely doesn’t seem to be aware that she’s autistic. It was difficult reading her experiences, clearly seeing that she’s autistic but with her not knowing and struggling. It was relatable at times, but in an upsetting way more than a nice way. For me, at least. I can see how some readers would enjoy this and feel seen in the main character.

Funnily, like Gilda I feel other people’s emotions pretty strongly, so reading a book like this was probably a bad idea for me. I have similar anxiety and this was triggering for me. I nearly dnfed this several times because of it, and tbh I probably should’ve as it ended up just putting me in a bad mood. I kept reading because I really enjoyed the first half, it was still intense but in a more lighthearted dark humor kind of way (it reminded me of fleabag), but the second half is much more depressing and upsetting.

This book is a very accurate representation of ocd, anxiety, undiagnosed autism and mental illness. If you want that and can handle it, I’d recommend it, just please check content warnings first.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Animal death, Bullying, Car accident, Child abuse, Lesbophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Death, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Eating disorder, Religious bigotry, Homophobia, Murder, Ableism, Self harm, and Suicide

Minor: Abandonment, Cannibalism, Excrement, Mass/school shootings, and Sexual assault

Graphic: Body dysmorphia, hypochondria, death ocd, intrusive thoughts, dissociation Moderate: medical malpractice (kind of) Minor: metaphorical cannibalism

kjovertherainbow's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Lesbophobia, Alcoholism, Death, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness

Minor: Cannibalism

skudiklier's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective 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? Yes

5.0

Okay I'm actually obsessed with this book. Wow.

I have anxiety and I related to Gilda a lot while reading it (though she struggles with it way more than I do, and I have a much easier time asking for help). I loved the way this was written, in genuinely every way that could be interpreted. I'm amazed by how relatable and funny this was while also being so dark and existential. I was so drawn in and cared so much about what was going to happen to everyone involved.

Honestly I have absolutely zero complaints about this book. I mean...I wish maybe we'd gotten a glimpse of Eli at the end to see what happened there? But I understand why the author may have wanted to leave some things open-ended, and I'm satisfied with what we did get to see at the end. I can't recommend this book enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Car accident, Cursing, and Death

Moderate: Outing, Self harm, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Body horror, Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical content, and Murder

Minor: Sexism, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Blood, Bullying, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Transphobia, Child death, Dementia, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Cannibalism, Drug abuse, Rape, Cancer, and Mass/school shootings

major cw for dissociation, depression, and anxiety

sderrig's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Alcoholism and Car accident

Minor: Addiction, Cancer, Cannibalism, Cursing, and Blood

at806's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, Vomit, Alcohol, Homophobia, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Murder, and Self harm

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Cannibalism, and Car accident

smasson13's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

I loved this book. It was so different and strange yet completely and utterly normal. I
 knew right away that it was going to be right up my alley, just reading the blurb. 

The main character, Gilda, has the internal monologue that runs through most mentally ill people, and I was here for it.

It was fast paced, and I loved the stream of consciousness style, written in broken up paragraphs.

I did also know, by the third emergency room visit, that the character and author must be Canadian. It is always nice to read new Canadian talent. 

It gave me similar feeling to 13 ways of looking at a fat girl. I loved the style, loved the plot, loved the characters, and hope everyone gives this unique gift a chance!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Animal death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcohol, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Car accident, Homophobia, Drug use, Murder, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Cannibalism and Stalking

nicoleherz's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Wonderfully weird stream of consciousness, depressingly relateable

Absolutely loved it. The writing was great, it was real and odd and funny. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, Suicide, Death, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Car accident, Cannibalism, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Medical content, and Self harm

sophie42's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Vomit, Death, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness

Moderate: Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Animal death

Minor: Cannibalism and Religious bigotry

claudiamacpherson's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Mental illness

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Child abuse, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Gaslighting, Grief, Suicide, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Body horror, Bullying, Blood, Cancer, Cannibalism, Stalking, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, and Vomit

margotcolville's review against another edition

dark funny lighthearted mysterious 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

Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead, and Gilda can't seem to think about anything else. Gilda is a depressed, anxious, lesbian, atheist twenty-something who has found herself working as the receptionist in a Catholic church, and as if that wasn't enough, that church is inextricably mixed up in the suspicious and confusing death of her predecessor. Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead is a beauty of an exploration of the human condition, anxiety, the inevitability of death, lying, rhinos, and just about everything else.

The majority of this book sits within the mushy and likely trembling confines of Gilda's brain. This perspective is really what seals the deal on this book for me. It allows us to follow every tangent of Gilda's brain and this simultaneously feels relatable in a "yeah, of course, that makes total sense." way and serves as a point of reflection to later combat my own anxious tangents. Emily R. Austin has perfectly encapsulated what it's like to be debilitatingly anxious, feel entirely too much or nothing at all, and try to stay afloat in the world. However, this seems to be very polarizing, and from what I've seen through other reviews across book-centered social media platforms, readers with anxiety (or at least a working understanding of what it's like) click and fall in love while, more often than not, readers without feel confused and put off. One review I read described Gilda as "a bit intolerable" and stated they "found [themselves] annoyed at being in her head often" and "couldn't understand the choices she made". This is an entirely justified reason to dislike a character or a book, of course, and I mean no slander towards them nor their opinions. However, I think the juxtaposition between my reading experience and theirs lies in, honestly, an assumption I'm willing to reach for that they likely don't have anxiety. With that I make the following assertion: if you have anxiety, you are likely to love this book (although I suggest reflecting on your own wellbeing and making sure you're in a relatively positive place mentally before picking it up), but if you don't, I wouldn't be surprised if it felt, at the very least, unrealistic to you. 

I screamed not only audibly, but loudly twice in the last 10 minutes of the audiobook.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Animal death, Car accident, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Alcoholism and Cannibalism