Reviews tagging 'Chronic illness'

Abbiamo sempre vissuto nel castello by Shirley Jackson

28 reviews

otterforce's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

 This is a story about so much and so little, and that’s the least of the conflicting or opposing elements involved. If you like character driven stories with a side of mental health issues and some darkness, this story will serve you well. 

It’s a story where no one is innocent and no one escapes unchanged, but whether the end is happy or tragic is left up to you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Mental illness, Violence, and Gaslighting

lia_mills's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

Strangely makes me want to take up cooking.

A classic for very good reason — does an excellent job of getting you to understand a unique and (at least to some extent) unlikeable protagonist. The extent to which it’s ultimately a psychological horror vs. a psychological drama story depends largely on how you respond to Merricat’s perspective (I for one was very much drawn into it), but it’s a compelling tale either way.

Works (1) this made me think of: Sharp Objects (2018 miniseries) — also based around a wealthy family in a small, unloveable American town, also focuses heavily on psychologically unhealthy women, and has a similarly strong ghost-story-despite-not-having-literal-ghosts kind of atmosphere. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, and Murder

aduqu's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.25

I think I would have rated this book higher if I wasn't going into it looking for horror. It's good enough, but it didn't shake me the way I wanted it to.

However, I loved Merricat's interesting system of "magic" and rules she's developed. Her narration was endearing and whimsical, and only becomes disturbing when you remember she's an adult woman and not a child.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

danimacuk's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Dementia, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Child death and Classism

miwandie's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

merricat is I, I am merricat, we are legion 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

abookwormspov's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

jomjom's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Child death

Minor: Incest

jficele's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book is stuck in my head, replaying scenes over and over trying to find meanings to them.  The symbolism and character development also has kept me thinking.  Exactly what I look for in a book.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Dementia, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship

bambicat234's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Bullying, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Dementia, Death of parent, and Classism

jo_lzr's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Terminal illness, Violence, Dementia, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Classism