Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Fake by Zoe Whittall

14 reviews

liss_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

2.0

Quick read, storyline moves fast matching with the subject’s MO. Overall, felt it was missing some of the extreme jostling that comes with

pathological liars

Instead, read Counterfeit by Kirstin Chen. Really gets you into the con-conned relationship and makes you question what’s the truth. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Gaslighting

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Suicide

clarethomsen's review against another edition

emotional 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

mrinmayi's review against another edition

emotional funny tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Suicidal thoughts

sarahrob's review against another edition

emotional mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

I loved this book. I still feel like I’m working through what I actually think about it, but I couldn’t get through it fast enough. It was tense and thoughtful. Cammie is such a great villain, and I find myself still questioning her. 

I loved the unreliable nature of each character and how the author played into that. Using an omniscient narrator, but having each characters’ understanding of reality be untrustworthy was such a fun take on the unreliable narrator. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Grief

Moderate: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Gaslighting

Minor: Miscarriage and Suicide attempt

rowan_369's review against another edition

challenging tense 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Gaslighting

laughtrack17's review against another edition

challenging sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Self harm, Terminal illness, and Medical trauma

bdingz's review against another edition

emotional funny tense fast-paced

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

3.5

I became interested in this book after hearing Zoe Whittall speak about it at an event. I’m glad I read it! It kept me wondering what was going to happen next. I think most of the things I didn’t like about the book came down to personal preference.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Sexual content

Minor: Cancer, Death, and Kidnapping

Moderate descriptions of OCD and hypochondria.

thebooklooks's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Cancer and Mental illness

Minor: Suicide and Suicide attempt

plumdustsuns's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

1.25

It was a really fun and easy read and I finished it within two days. However, the opening made an impact/impression that there would be a really dramatic climax regarding Cammie and her ways. Because she said these people tried to take “everything” from her. However, there’s nothing but a sad, failed intervention and a shot up statue. It wasn’t even necessary for Cammie to get ‘taken down’ but for her to even be a bit threatened/losing for the opening and the book to really measure up and be an all around read that would have lived up to the thrill falsely promised. They just find out and people around them don’t really care and Cammie’s family is blasé at best and she’s “troubled” but why? I can respect a female hustler but the plot was just… not.  
I’m just severely disappointed with how almost nothing happened and it just falls flat as a really boring book by the end/even halfway through, considering what was the end/consequences. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

emma_b_rhodes's review against another edition

emotional funny sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Self harm, and Death of parent

Minor: Kidnapping