Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Love After Love by Ingrid Persaud

17 reviews

katewhite77's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

5.0

As Beautiful As It Is Heartbreaking.

One lunchtime whilst working in a school, Miss Betty sidles up to Mr Chetan to become her lodger, and a beautiful dacades long begins. They 
try did try being lovers for a time, and whilst that didn't work out too well, the friendship only deepened. 

Chetan helps raise Solo, Miss Betty's son, for many years. That is until, one day, Solo over hears something that completely changes the course of their lives. This novel spans continents, and the decades just melt into each other. We go from baking hot Trinidadian summers to freezing cold winters in New York. Love  conquers all undoubtedly, but the question remains at what  cost.

Not an easy read by any means, trigger warnings everywhere, but I have no doubt that this will trouble my top books of the year list and has further cemented my  love of Caribbean literature.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Outing, and Alcohol

miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad 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

4.75

Crying

‘You can't force understanding.’

A bit little life-y
Was caught v off guard

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Sexual harassment

merrynthomas's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcohol

This book deals heavily with family trauma brought on by domestic abuse, particularly the mother/child relationship

bookswithgeorgia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective relaxing sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Suicide attempt

hannahrhian's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Blood, Death of parent, and Alcohol

tuma's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

This book makes you feel for the characters even as you're shaking your head at their decisions. Not sure how I feel about the ending. Almost felt like a "cheap" move. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia and Self harm

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Mental illness

zzaakkiiyyaa's review against another edition

emotional funny inspiring reflective 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

3.75

If you’ve ever suffered despair, grief, heartbreak, and the like you’ll adore this book (just check content warnings first). No double you’ll fall in love with Mr Chetan. He is simply wonderful. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Self harm, and Death of parent

Minor: Death

waywardtomes's review against another edition

4.0

I wasn't expecting anything in this book. It is much heavier than I thought it was going to be but I still really enjoyed the story of family. I laughed a little, cried a few times, and my jaw might have dropped more than once. Also I did the audio and love that it was narrated by the author. 

Please note: if you are looking for a review about the rep in it, I cannot give you that. I am a white lady in the U.S please look for reviews by Trinidadians on that. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism

bill_muganda's review against another edition

dark emotional funny lighthearted reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

Such a wholesome story of found family, unconventional relationships. Set in Trinidad but later venturing to New York, we follow Three perspectives: Betty ( a widowed young mother), Mr. Chetan ( A closeted primary school teacher), Solo ( Betty's only son)
The death of Betty's abusive husband paves the path for Mr. Chetan to enter Betty and Solo's lives, and they slowly form such a strong bond and open up about their intimate secrets. We see them morph together as they occupy this unorthodox dynamic.

The writing won't blow you away, I'd recommend the audiobook narrated by the author, infused with warmth from the Trini accent, and you'll find yourself chuckling at the shenanigan. At some point, the story dragged and lost its rhythm, the case with books that shift perspectives you'll prefer some to others. I still had a lovely time with these characters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

bexh's review against another edition

emotional funny sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Death of parent