Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'
The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall
16 reviews
gondorgirl's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, and Suicide attempt
mv_reads's review against another edition
1.5
I had such high hopes for this book, especially with the enticing promise of a "Gilmore Girls meets Practical Magic" vibe. However, it left me with mixed feelings.
To be honest, it fell short on the Gilmore Girls theme and seemed to try a bit too hard to mimic Practical Magic. Some plot points left me scratching my head, and not all of them seemed necessary.
The main "romantic" relationship had me cringing more than rooting for the characters. That dynamic felt entirely unnecessary, and it gave me "the ick."
The pacing was a struggle for me, and the story felt slow throughout. It just couldn't hold my attention as I'd hoped.
On the bright side, the inclusion of recipes was a lovely touch. I enjoyed that part immensely and may try a recipe or two.
What left me truly perplexed was the mix of witchcraft and religious elements. It was a bit challenging to grasp the whole premise when they were going to church, quoting Bible verses, and discussing God. It left me a tad confused.
I read this for a bookclub that I am a part of and if it wasn’t for that I most likely would not have finished. All in all, "The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic" had its moments, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me.
To be honest, it fell short on the Gilmore Girls theme and seemed to try a bit too hard to mimic Practical Magic. Some plot points left me scratching my head, and not all of them seemed necessary.
The main "romantic" relationship had me cringing more than rooting for the characters. That dynamic felt entirely unnecessary, and it gave me "the ick."
The pacing was a struggle for me, and the story felt slow throughout. It just couldn't hold my attention as I'd hoped.
On the bright side, the inclusion of recipes was a lovely touch. I enjoyed that part immensely and may try a recipe or two.
What left me truly perplexed was the mix of witchcraft and religious elements. It was a bit challenging to grasp the whole premise when they were going to church, quoting Bible verses, and discussing God. It left me a tad confused.
I read this for a bookclub that I am a part of and if it wasn’t for that I most likely would not have finished. All in all, "The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic" had its moments, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, Death of parent, and Abandonment
amanda_mh's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
There is a subtle beauty to this story. Reading this felt as if I was calmly walking alongside the characters in the story. It’s a quiet small town cozy fantasy novel filled with magical baking, and a very real depiction of grief which I appreciated. I’m glad I picked up this book from BOTM.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Cancer, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
etl's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
This book was.... not for me. Plot lines that go nowhere, confusing and bizarre christian ideology that comes out of nowhere (in a book about a witch...?), plot holes, a bizarre that I think we're supposed to read as quirky and banter-y, overly-descriptive language while still not actually telling us anything, wildly casual mentions of very serious topics . I can't believe this was marketed as a cozy read tbh.
The only reason I finished this book is because I became absolutely obsessed with the frankly absurd similes and metaphors. The writing is chock full of some truly bizarre writing but by chapter two I started highlighting the comparisons to food (specifically sweet treats) just in case the reader forgot that the main character was a baker. My favorites are below for your reading pleasure:
- "the tenuous peace they'd formed in the kitchen cracked like creme brulee"
- "shaking her momentary mirth off like powdered sugar"
- "excitement brushed along her skin like confectioners' sugar"
- "gingersnap laugh"
- "The air turned sweet like sparkle-dusted rainbow cotton candy"
and my number one, the line I will be thinking about for the rest of my life:
- "hugs were passed around like a tray of chocolate truffles, sweet and decadent until too much made you sad for no reason" - huh. huh?I have never ever been sad due to too many chocolate truffles OR too many hugs. sick? yes. touched out? yes. sad...? am I missing something? do chocolates and hugs make people sad?
Overall I counted 41 instances of food-related symbolism, and this doesn't include anything from chapter one or descriptive language like "butter-soft" or "caramel-colored" because at least those descriptions make sense.
I'm sure this book is for someone. That someone is not me.
Spoiler
dog kidnappingSpoiler
SA, attempted suicide, murder, and also what essentially amounts to the drugging of an unsuspecting third party... TWICE. SHE DOES IT TWICEThe only reason I finished this book is because I became absolutely obsessed with the frankly absurd similes and metaphors. The writing is chock full of some truly bizarre writing but by chapter two I started highlighting the comparisons to food (specifically sweet treats) just in case the reader forgot that the main character was a baker. My favorites are below for your reading pleasure:
- "the tenuous peace they'd formed in the kitchen cracked like creme brulee"
- "shaking her momentary mirth off like powdered sugar"
- "excitement brushed along her skin like confectioners' sugar"
- "gingersnap laugh"
- "The air turned sweet like sparkle-dusted rainbow cotton candy"
and my number one, the line I will be thinking about for the rest of my life:
- "hugs were passed around like a tray of chocolate truffles, sweet and decadent until too much made you sad for no reason" - huh. huh?I have never ever been sad due to too many chocolate truffles OR too many hugs. sick? yes. touched out? yes. sad...? am I missing something? do chocolates and hugs make people sad?
Overall I counted 41 instances of food-related symbolism, and this doesn't include anything from chapter one or descriptive language like "butter-soft" or "caramel-colored" because at least those descriptions make sense.
I'm sure this book is for someone. That someone is not me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Mental illness, Cancer, Terminal illness, Sexual assault, Rape, Murder, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Death
Minor: Pregnancy and Infertility
amandaboyer's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Cancer, Drug use, Death, Suicide, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Suicide attempt
ashlynldavis1's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Death, Death of parent, and Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Cancer
cc_shelflove's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
From the first page of this book, I was already starving. As a foodie, I loved the many descriptions of Sadie making her way around the kitchen and serving delectable sweets. 😋 There were even recipes in between each chapter! The other aspects of the book, however…… 🥴 It was so discombobulated it’s not even funny. For the “romance” course of the novel, I was served second chance and forced proximity tropes—ones I actually enjoy. Where the author lacked is character development. I was given next to no background into Sadie and Jake’s relationship before his return; I didn’t know either character well enough to care if they got back together or not. I also felt like I was thrown into the middle of Sadie’s familial problems, and it was expected that I care with no further explanation. The long chapters killed my reading experience, as well as the randomness of the plot. I definitely skimmed the last two chapters and I was left disappointed as I thought this would be the perfect fall read. 😓 My thoughts summed up in one word: unfortunate.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Cancer, Mental illness, Grief, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts
aishoka's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
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
4.0
Emotional. A bit Mary Sue. Lots of lush garden and food descriptions
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Cancer, and Death
Minor: Sexual assault
rromero721's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Mental illness, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Cancer, Grief, Domestic abuse, Cursing, and Alcohol
sarinaslibrary's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.75
I would like to thank Netgalley for allowing me to read this ARC.
I really really wanted to enjoy this book, it's marketing on TikTok was crazy and I was super excited when I got approved to read a proof. Sadly it didn't hit right for me.
I didn't find myself liking any of the characters, the grandmother was a bit mean to me, the FMC was a bit of a pushover & people pleaser, also a bit dumb and annoying. The rest of the characters were also quite annoying as well, the only one I really liked was Seth, the FMC brother who went away and came back after a couple of years.
The FMC just didn't sit right for me, especially when she came to find that the dog she found and took in was her ex's and refused to give it back to him because at first she's petty, then she wanted a part of him with her when all the drama was going on. He kept asking for it back and she kept refusing, and as a dog owner myself it really made me angry.
Seth's story was just more interesting to me because there was a bit of mystery and he didn't want magic because it was hurting him and making him depressed, but in the end of the book the FMC gives up her magic so he can keep his - why not have Seth give up the magic he doesn't want to his sister that does want it?? Everytime he said he didn't want magic his family (even the FMC) just dismissed his feelings and saying that he can't run away from it. That's not a good message.
There's a strong message of family in this book that doesn't hit right, there's a line basically saying that family will hurt you but you have to forgive and love them in the end because that's what family is all about - I'm sorry but no. Families can hurt you and you have every right to cut them out and keep it that way, some things families do are unforgivable and it remains that way. It left a bad taste in my mouth for personal reasons and I almost gave up the book around this time, but I kept going.
The romance in this wasn't good either, FMC's ex comes back into the town (the one she refuses to give the dog back too), turns out he's engaged which he tried to tell her (which by the way comes not far from the end of the book) but she kept dismissing him, turns out the woman he's engaged to fakes her pregnancy - all of this was really unnecessary.
It wasn't a cosy witchy book at all, all the magic was food and drinks and it contained some triggers that I didn't expect. There's also a lot of cheesy paragraphs that didn't need to be there - oh and the grandmother forcing the FMC to attend church also didn't sit well with me.
Overall I was disappointed in this book, I really love cosy witchy books but this one just didn't hit the mark.
I really really wanted to enjoy this book, it's marketing on TikTok was crazy and I was super excited when I got approved to read a proof. Sadly it didn't hit right for me.
I didn't find myself liking any of the characters, the grandmother was a bit mean to me, the FMC was a bit of a pushover & people pleaser, also a bit dumb and annoying. The rest of the characters were also quite annoying as well, the only one I really liked was Seth, the FMC brother who went away and came back after a couple of years.
The FMC just didn't sit right for me, especially when she came to find that the dog she found and took in was her ex's and refused to give it back to him because at first she's petty, then she wanted a part of him with her when all the drama was going on. He kept asking for it back and she kept refusing, and as a dog owner myself it really made me angry.
Seth's story was just more interesting to me because there was a bit of mystery and he didn't want magic because it was hurting him and making him depressed, but in the end of the book the FMC gives up her magic so he can keep his - why not have Seth give up the magic he doesn't want to his sister that does want it?? Everytime he said he didn't want magic his family (even the FMC) just dismissed his feelings and saying that he can't run away from it. That's not a good message.
There's a strong message of family in this book that doesn't hit right, there's a line basically saying that family will hurt you but you have to forgive and love them in the end because that's what family is all about - I'm sorry but no. Families can hurt you and you have every right to cut them out and keep it that way, some things families do are unforgivable and it remains that way. It left a bad taste in my mouth for personal reasons and I almost gave up the book around this time, but I kept going.
The romance in this wasn't good either, FMC's ex comes back into the town (the one she refuses to give the dog back too), turns out he's engaged which he tried to tell her (which by the way comes not far from the end of the book) but she kept dismissing him, turns out the woman he's engaged to fakes her pregnancy - all of this was really unnecessary.
It wasn't a cosy witchy book at all, all the magic was food and drinks and it contained some triggers that I didn't expect. There's also a lot of cheesy paragraphs that didn't need to be there - oh and the grandmother forcing the FMC to attend church also didn't sit well with me.
Overall I was disappointed in this book, I really love cosy witchy books but this one just didn't hit the mark.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer and Death
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting
Minor: Murder