Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane

18 reviews

chaermander's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

As always, Mhairi McFarlane's writing style is humourous and easy-going (with some lovely vocab), but this book is a little disappointing compared to the others of hers that I've read. Very very little plot - seriously, nothing really happens. The character development starts slow: this took me a while to get into because, if there's no real plot and no real character development, what is there? But it starts to quicken from about 60% in, and there are some nice phrases and interpretations of grief and relationships. This one will be heading to the charity shop, though - not one to reread down the line. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Dementia, Car accident, and Death

Minor: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, and Terminal illness

bubblesofbayla's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I really like Mhairi McFarlane's writing. It's very chatty, is how I'd describe it. So much detail, but not in an overly descriptive way, more in that you really get to know each character's way of looking at the world.  My main qualm is that it sometimes feels like too much to fit in just one book. Like, we get to the happy ending and then the book's over. I want to get to spend more time with the relationships she spends so many words nurturing. This one, even more than the other I've read from McFarlane, is not a straight ahead romance novel at all. Big content warning for death and grieving!! But what's so wonderful about it is that she shows us love in the context of life, and that makes the relationships (and friendships! such good side characters!) that much more rewarding. So, bascially if we could get some fluffy novellas for the "afters" that'd be great, but really I'm happy with what she's giving us: some beautiful, complex humans, and how they find the love they deserve. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Drug use and Panic attacks/disorders

wafflepolly's review against another edition

emotional funny sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, and Medical content

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Child abuse

eligru's review

emotional hopeful mysterious sad fast-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: Death, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Car accident, and Child abuse

Moderate: Violence, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Vomit, Grief, Drug use, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, and Terminal illness

marireadsabook's review against another edition

hopeful lighthearted sad medium-paced

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

3.5

I think that had I known what this book was really about I would’ve been more prepared going into it. I thought we were getting a friends to lovers romance, with a friend group twist, but it was a book about grief and perceptions of the people we think we know. I wish we had longer with the departed before we were meant to experience grief because I didn’t feel connected at all to the sadness of the whole thing, and it felt more like a plot device to set the story in motion than a deep dive into how we handle loss as people. However, I enjoyed the read and I’d definitely read from this author again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Dementia, Death, and Infidelity

Moderate: Physical abuse and Car accident

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

nora_bom's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia, Death, Car accident, and Grief

Moderate: Death of parent and Domestic abuse

Minor: Drug use, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Panic attacks/disorders

beccaruthe's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad tense fast-paced

• 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Drug use, Death, Dementia, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Grief, and Car accident

Minor: Death of parent, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, and Panic attacks/disorders

novellybritt's review against another edition

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Dementia, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Gaslighting, and Physical abuse

all of the freaking trigger warnings with this one. don't go into this thinking it is a romcom -- ITS FREAKING SAD.

jenn_reads's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but although this was much heavier than I thought it was going to be it was very good. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia, Grief, Death, and Car accident

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Infidelity

Pedestrian struck by car

paytonreads's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

this book had so much going on that was tied together so eloquently. the discussion of grief and set up for the romance in the book was important and well done. i loved that the book wasn’t about the romance but that it was just part of the twist of the book,  and more importantly, the growth and development of the main character’s story. how we deal with loss and our natural reaction after losing a loved one is something that is hard to put in words, but mhairi mcfarlane did a wonderful job

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Car accident, Dementia, Child abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders