penofpossibilities's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Cursing, and Ableism
Moderate: Police brutality, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, Murder, Medical content, Lesbophobia, Car accident, Dementia, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, and Bullying
Minor: Vomit and Acephobia/Arophobia
rieviolet's review against another edition
- 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
Spoiler
with the police investigation and Gilda's questioning and brief detentionSpoiler
I admit that I teared up a bit when Gilda's left those voicemail messagesI appreciated the hard-hitting representation of mental illness, just make sure to check the content warnings and look after your own mental well-being.
I also quite liked the humour and, as a raised-Catholic-turned-atheist, I cackled many times whenever Gilda pondered over bizarre Catholic rituals.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Lesbophobia, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Mental illness, and Homophobia
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Emotional abuse, Blood, Suicide, Murder, Grief, Car accident, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Child abuse, Drug use, Confinement, Bullying, Outing, Animal death, Body horror, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Self harm, Stalking, Terminal illness, Mass/school shootings, Dysphoria, and Drug abuse
oddlyghoul's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Lesbophobia, Self harm, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Murder, Sexual harassment, Car accident, Gaslighting, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexism
skudiklier's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
I have anxiety and I related to Gilda a lot while reading it (though she struggles with it way more than I do, and I have a much easier time asking for help). I loved the way this was written, in genuinely every way that could be interpreted. I'm amazed by how relatable and funny this was while also being so dark and existential. I was so drawn in and cared so much about what was going to happen to everyone involved.
Honestly I have absolutely zero complaints about this book. I mean...I wish maybe we'd gotten a glimpse of Eli at the end to see what happened there? But I understand why the author may have wanted to leave some things open-ended, and I'm satisfied with what we did get to see at the end. I can't recommend this book enough.
Graphic: Suicide, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, Car accident, Cursing, and Death
Moderate: Outing, Self harm, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Vomit, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Body horror, Ableism, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Medical content, and Murder
Minor: Sexism, Terminal illness, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Blood, Bullying, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Transphobia, Child death, Dementia, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Cannibalism, Drug abuse, Rape, Cancer, and Mass/school shootings
major cw for dissociation, depression, and anxietymelliedm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Gilda is a late 20s lesbian trapped in a painfully familiar cycle of rumination, anxiety, depression, and existential dread. I feel like saying any more than that will tarnish the experience of reading this absolutely fantastic novel, so I’ll refrain. All I’ll really say is that nothing I’ve ever read has come so close to articulating my experience of the world, and now I am a puddle of tears.
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Chronic illness, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Self harm
Moderate: Ableism, Alcohol, Homophobia, Vomit, Animal death, Lesbophobia, Car accident, Death, Medical trauma, and Terminal illness
Minor: Dementia and Fire/Fire injury
kayri687's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Ableism
lots of sanism that doesn't get addressed; a brief statement framing mobility aids in a negative(?) lightramalam98's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
My opinions below stand. I’m keeping my review at 4.5⭐️ as I do find the ending a bit rushed and unsatisfactory. However this is still just a book that speaks directly to me and it’s even a bit frightening in places. This author sees right into my head.
Review from first read:
Absolutely love the premise of this and it is certainly a very unique book.
It’s an excellent depiction of depression, anxiety and obsession with death. I felt very ‘seen’ at times, with those thoughts you think you’re the only person to have!
For a (relatively) short book I was also impressed at just how many issues it manages to talk about without feeling packed.
Spoiler
The (often hilarious) contradiction, bigotry and misogyny of the church; alcoholism; mentally ill parents in denial (about themselves and other mentally ill people); childhood trauma particularly stemming from pet death; police inadequacy; police bigotry towards the mentally ill; incompetency of medical staff in dealing with mental illness; widow loneliness; unaddressed gender issues; i don’t know the proper name but “men thinking they’re gods gift to women and that depressed people should choose to be happy”; and more.Really well done, I loved the narrative voice and will definitely want to read this again.
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Ableism, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Animal death, Death, Homophobia, Alcoholism, and Religious bigotry
risemini's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Death, Animal death, Homophobia, Ableism, Alcohol, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts
agnesa_ast's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Addiction, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Homophobia
Minor: Ableism
marabdelmageed's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Animal death, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death
Moderate: Car accident, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Religious bigotry, Injury/Injury detail, and Fire/Fire injury