Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Valley of the Dolls 50th Anniversary Edition by Jacqueline Susann

36 reviews

hazeld's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-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, Body shaming, Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Ableism, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, and Vomit

rowanelisa's review against another edition

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

whoisrois's review against another edition

dark funny reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

SO fun but structurally unsound. Maybe on purpose? 💊💊💊

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

palomabird1's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

laurakfinnegan's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

kelsie4's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Picked up this book not knowing how huge it was (both in size and in popularity) that they made a movie. All the more I was intrigued to read it. If you love a book carried by dialogue this is for you. I devoured this book. As a woman living in New York I feel that pressure to be something or other everyone is trying but you see only the special few make it. It’s an empowering book to see stubborn women paving the way for themselves but of course it comes at a price. Nobody’s likable but you root for them anyways to have a revelation and change. A book I’d like to have a copy of and let everyone I know read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

macieslater's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.0

this book really pulled me in right from the beginning. i feel like im still gathering my thoughts but i absolutely love books that follow characters throughout their life, and it was really interesting how much some of them changed (especially neely). i can def see why this was so revolutionary at the time and i would be so curious to see a modern adaptation 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

lollymac's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Biphobia, Body shaming, Cancer, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, and Alcohol

The book was slow to start as Anne isn't the most interesting character to follow around. But I raced to the finish as it became a telenovela. If you want to read about career women who get punished for every bad decision they make, and men who do the bare minimum facing no consequences and getting rewarded for it.

taleofabibliophile's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and War

Moderate: Violence, Car accident, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Antisemitism

moonwillow27458's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Body shaming, Terminal illness, and Gaslighting