Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Talking at Night by Claire Daverley

48 reviews

yajairat's review against another edition

emotional 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

3.0

Overall a good read! I liked that this romance was healing for them. I love books that focus on the transformative power of relationships, especially between two people that are going through hardships. 

I was not a big fan of the lack of quotation marks in this case. I’ve read them before and had no issue, but for some reason I found myself having to reread certain parts of the book. I also thought there was not enough focus on some of these topics that were affecting the main characters. The analysis felt a bit half hearted to me. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Suicide

taliaalongi's review against another edition

emotional sad 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? It's complicated

3.75

It definitely made me feel deeply, including frustration lol

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Eating disorder, and Mental illness

Moderate: Suicide attempt

lucyduller's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-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

3.75

This book felt like so many other books I’ve read, and that’s not a bad thing. All of the books it reminded me of are books I’ve liked, One Day, Normal People, Where Rainbows End, People We Meet on Vacation - but it was missing something that meant I didn’t like it as much. 

I really liked the fleshing out of the characters, I think Claire Daverley did that really well, but I wish there was more social commentary because it ended up feeling like it was stuck in limbo between a romance and a literary fiction, and I think the thing that classifies a book outside of a romance is when a book becomes about so much more. For instance, Normal People explores ideas of class, gender, communication, love in the era of social media, mental health, abuse, and so much more. Whilst this book had elements of that (Rosie has OCD and trauma from death of a loved one, as well as an eating disorder inherited by her mum) it felt unexplored and limited. At first the book is structured in a before and after a big event, but that is lost in the second half of the book and feels a bit messy. 

Also, the absence of quotation marks is something I love when it’s done well, and I don’t think it was done well enough here for it to always be clear when someone is talking or who is talking. When reading Sally Rooney, however, it doesn’t even register that there are no quotation marks because it flows so well. 

I was surprised to see that this was published by Penguin, because it felt like more of a debut novel by a new author but I think it is Penguin’s alternative to Sally Rooney, as she publishes with a competing independent publishing house.

I did like the ending, I was worried Daverley was going to be cruel to us but she wasn’t and I think it’s a lovely ending to a nice book. 

All in all, I really enjoyed this book, but it doesn’t get the 5 stars I was hoping it might.  Perhaps my expectations were too high at the start and if I’d gone in knowing nothing I would have enjoyed it more so maybe a fault with the reader and not the author!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, and Mental illness

Moderate: Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Abandonment

chris_reads's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Grief, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Medical content, and Suicide attempt

elisacarlene's review against another edition

emotional reflective relaxing sad 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Mental illness, and Grief

Moderate: Eating disorder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

bella_cavicchi's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

4.5

This has my name written all over it, Daverley's stunning, understated writing the clear highlight. It feels particularly resonant when questions of what one (I) wants to do in life, à la Mary Oliver, weigh heavily.

Recommend, and with pleasure.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Medical content, and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, and Abandonment

Minor: Pregnancy

lindsaybrown's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, and Mental illness

bookedwithannie's review against another edition

emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism

jhansell's review against another edition

emotional sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, and Mental illness

connieevans's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

Started off really unsure about this one and perpetually irritated by Will and Rosie. But holy moly, this story ended up with my whole heart and I was almost in tears by the end. The dying twin thing was particularly difficult ngl but I really loved this book in the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, and Mental illness