Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

American psycho by Bret Easton Ellis

81 reviews

mariowlie's review against another edition

This one was a rough read. It started out almost funny in how ridiculous some characters acted and interacted with one another, I think I understand the main themes of the novel well. 

The only thing that kept me reading past a certain point was morbid curiosity. "What is this guy going to do next? Do I want to know?" I would ask that question with every new chapter and around the Christmas party chapter I decided I was not interested anymore. 

I believe that some recent real-life political news made it so the book left an extra bad taste in my mouth and I really could not finish it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Drug use, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

It's as bad as everyone says it is, but maybe not for the reasons you might be imagining.

klbailey's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-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

4.5

I gave this book a high rating because it definitely made me feel the way it was supposed to make a person feel. I will hopefully never have to read it again. The movie is one of my favorite gore fests so of course I’m going to read the book, never again. It had me wanting to shake these women, even being rich, stuck up, pointless people, whhhhyyy are you letting this boring fashionista pig talk to you like that??

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Blood, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, and Classism

Moderate: Bullying, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

Minor: Eating disorder and Car accident

birdy_books's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Murder, and Classism

casparquarius's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Cannibalism, Stalking, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

biobeetle's review against another edition

challenging dark tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Stalking, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abortion and War

wishlissa's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

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

2.0

I don’t know whether to rate this a 5 or a 1. I really enjoyed the writing, particularly toward the beginning and very end of the book. Ellis does a great job of slowly introducing Pat’s descent into madness and stepping up the stakes chapter by chapter. However… I will also never read this again. Nor will I ever recommend it to someone else. 

The satire is SEARING. It is so good, a disturbing point being made with terrifying clarity. However I still found it difficult to stomach the increasingly atrocious violence. And at a certain point - even the recognizing a point being drawn about it being senseless, repetitive, overwhelming — it just became too gratuitous. I had to skim large sections of it.

I knew going in that I was signing up for body horror but i didn’t expect it to be so… creative..

I’m going to go pick up a comfort read now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Capitalism, consumerism, 1980s culture, satire

agalla_'s review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

The goriest book I’ve ever read, hard to put down, the prose is chaotic and deeply unsettling and unexpectedly funny- very very good novel

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Cannibalism, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

midnightrw's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, and Murder

blueghost's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, and Alcohol

jacobalenciaga's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Vomit

Minor: Self harm, Abortion, and Pregnancy