Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow

19 reviews

hello_ned's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This book broke me. Even though I was constantly crying, I couldn't stop reading this book. 

Glasgow intimately describes the heart-break of grief and recovery. You're aimless, angry, sad, sick, embarassed, ashamed, anxious, and every other emotion under the sky. A lot of the emotions are "repetitive" but grief is repetitive.  A lot of it is tears and pain and time moving so fast yet so slowly. I would say the pace of this book is very good and enjoyable, but quite fast in retrospect. Tiger goes through a LOT in about 2 months. Each time I wanted to stop,  something big happened and I HAD to keep reading. 

It was important to Glasgow to show how common pain is for children. Many children suffered through abusive families, drug abuse, disability, homelessness, discrimination... and they all carry that pain deep inside. Sometimes it comes out in "inappropriate" ways-- but really, how can grief be inappropriate? How can you get over it? What do you even do now?

All of the characters are so fleshed out, real, and imperfect. Each character is distinct and has their own voice and importance. Remembering characters is a really difficult thing for me, and that wasn't a problem here. 

Ironically, for such a sad book, I have never audibly laughed and cheered so much when reading a book. I yelled out at work when

Tiger slapped the tooth out of Ellen and shoved Kai. I cheered even more when her sister came down to defend Tiger, turning the tables with the principle-- highlighting how little school systems actually take bullying seriously. Why is it always the kids fault when they act out against the relentless bullying and torment? And why do the bullies never get punished?

 

The main character isn't perfect, but life is shit enough already- let alone for a poor teenager who just lost her mum (and much more I cant spoil.) Tiger's down-to-earth humour and ability to laugh at herself and the situation she comes to call "the big suck" is endearing and warm. I just want to give her a big hug. 

I have never (knock on wood) lost anyone close to me, but I was really enthralled in this life. I can imagine it was only a fraction of the pain people in her position feel. 

This is one of those important books- a book that everyone needs to read and feel, and reread at different stages of their lives. It's something I'll be keeping on my shelf and carrying inside me throughout my life.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death of parent, and Mental illness

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Vomit, Addiction, Child abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Abortion

whatamidoing_rn's review against another edition

fast-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

This was so good like shockingly good and made me cry several times.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Grief, and Mental illness

Moderate: Physical abuse and Domestic abuse

Minor: Abortion

coffee18_html's review against another edition

dark emotional informative 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Grief

Moderate: Mental illness, Blood, and Vomit

alanacicc's review against another edition

emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

Heartbreaking. I cried. I also cried even more during the author’s note.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Vomit, Domestic abuse, Grief, Child abuse, Death of parent, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Abandonment, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Alcohol, and Physical abuse

Minor: Abortion, Animal death, Car accident, Self harm, Cancer, Chronic illness, and Pregnancy

oystersauce's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Mental illness

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, and Alcoholism

Minor: Abortion, Addiction, and Self harm

elena_kent's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction and Death of parent

Minor: Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicide, and Mental illness

taliatalksbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad 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

4.5

How To Make Friends With The Dark by Kathleen Glasgow was beautifully written and all around heartbreaking. I fell in love with the characters quickly, and thought they were well flushed out throughout the book. I think this story captures the complicated feeling of grief, especially in an overwhelming situation. In their author’s note, Glasgow refers to the fact that we have to do better for children in these situations, and I couldn’t agree more. Seeing the difficulties other characters are going through alongside Tiger helps put into perspective the systems many of us are unaware of on a daily basis. I think this book takes on a number of really difficult topics, but it portrays them all in a digestible way. I feel as though we grieve alongside Tiger throughout her journey, as we learn more details and get pulled from situation to situation. If you’re looking for a book that will validate feelings of grief in numerous different forms, and make you cry page after page (in a good way) then this emotional journey is definitely for you. This book makes you think about the implication of words, and the memories you want left behind with those you love while helping you process feelings you might be experiencing yourself, have experienced in the past, or may experience in the future. Despite Tiger being young, and the additional struggles that come with that, the grief process feels genuine and natural for her character. I truly enjoyed it, despite reading it through blurry eyes with a box of tissues tucked beside me, so if you can stomach grief that’s not your own, very much feeling like it is your own, I would give this one a read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Eating disorder, and Mental illness

Minor: Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Addiction, Abortion, Blood, and Dementia

whatdebsreads's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful tense 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, and Bullying

Minor: Car accident

matcharlyy's review against another edition

dark inspiring 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Vomit, Eating disorder, Grief, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Alcoholism, Violence, Alcohol, Mental illness, Car accident, and Child abuse

Moderate: Gore, Violence, Dementia, Drug abuse, and Blood

milakzm's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

poor little orphan girl

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Death, and Mental illness