Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart by Holly Ringland

31 reviews

abrown04's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.5

This book was amazing in terms of the comparisons to flowers and everything, but it just had so many loose ends and things that didn’t make sense. June? I would fight the old lady, what an absolute bitch. Clem? Absolute asshole with a saviour/guilt complex. Dylan? Exactly the same as Clem. And Alice? She just let everything happen and never tried to do anything about it. Not only that, but she ignored the only guy that would’ve been good for her. And Oggi? JUSTICE FOR OGGI AND MOSS!!! 

It ended abruptly and felt rushed towards the end, and it felt like Alice hadn’t actually resolved any of her trauma. Absolutely mad at how it ended. 

Paperback. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cancer

jailala's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

4.5

An excellent contemporary read! This book spans the first few decades of the main character's life (while also exploring the past of her family members to explain why she is being raised the way she is) so it can feel a bit disconcerting if you don't know this.

There are three almost separate seeming 'chapters' of Alice's life explored so it helps to know that going in- otherwise, the break between her early disjointed childhood understanding into the people caring for her in the second part can through you.

The third part, told more from her adult perspective was fairly easy to read (though the topics she works through can be triggering to some- brutal!)  Another author might have simply told the story only from that third part- throwing in bits and pieces in flashbacks to help you understand.  As it stands, we are led through Alice's life from beginning to her final growth into an adult on her way to a well-rounded life and we get a much more complete picture because of Ringland's choice of structure.

I found this choice of structure particularly intriguing given Alice's constant struggle to get the caregivers in her life to simply be straight with her and explain her family's history to her once and for all already!
Those who do not understand their history and, by extension, their family's history, are doomed to repeat the same bad patterns over and over.
Hiding the past almost never ends well and can actually be quite destructive.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence

Minor: Animal cruelty and Stalking

While the entire book is cathartic, in order to get to the growth of the main character the story goes to some pretty traumatic places. None of it is over-the-top or used purely for effect. All of it has specific ramifications and growth relation to the characters.

jrae1334's review against another edition

emotional sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, and Deportation

carijacqueline's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Abandonment

mari_teran's review against another edition

emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Minor: Animal cruelty

cathyjemcloud's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

dutchyreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Deportation

Minor: Animal cruelty

geemill's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, and Death of parent

ashyyy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

4.75

This book feels so special, but I'm not entirely sure why. I fell into a world I was not expecting to find and lived alongside characters I grew to love and care for. I felt such a pull towards Alice Hart's character and the need to see her safe and looked after.
The writing was easy, yet beautiful, to read. I found myself enjoying the secret language of flowers and going back to discover what characters were saying to each other through them. I already want to read it again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

martieliz's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Grief