Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis

10 reviews

barbaricyawp89's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

2.75

i’m not sure what i was expecting from this book, but i was suprised by how bored i felt while reading it and i’m not really sure why. it did pick up towards the end with the more outrightly disturbing stuff, but otherwise i feel kinda “meh” about it. it wasn’t a bad book by any means, just somehow really boring despite the premise.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, and Alcohol

adrireism's review against another edition

dark relaxing sad tense medium-paced

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

2.75

I had high expectations but the book is boring. The writing is sarcastic and captivating, hence the positive score, but the whole book is just a sequence of utterly boring events filled with hopelessness and personal decay that lead nowhere. Rich kids doing drugs and being awful to everyone around them. Every time you pick up the book you feel icky, but you can't stop reading because you feel a disaster is around the corner to break the stagnation. Turns out the book *is* the disaster. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Alcohol

longlegegg's review against another edition

dark reflective sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Eating disorder, Racial slurs, Terminal illness, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Homophobia, Racial slurs, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Antisemitism, Abortion, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

kazli's review against another edition

challenging dark sad fast-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

5.0

i feel guilty for liking this book so much but it was so good. the way it's written helps convey the feeling of loneliness and being emotionally detached. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism

nyyhkylintu's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse and Drug use

Moderate: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

issyd23's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

2.0

Just a more boring version of American Psycho with slightly less rape, violence and torture 2❄️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Religious bigotry, Abortion, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

delaviz's review against another edition

dark inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

A must read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity, Racial slurs, and Pregnancy

katerina_l's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Biphobia, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Car accident, Abortion, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Classism

ladybergart's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, and Abortion

Moderate: Eating disorder

kelly_twardziak's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.75

I first read Ellis's Rules of Attraction earlier this year and absolutely loved it, so I picked up Less Than Zero when I saw it at a used book store. Maybe its because I went to a small New England liberal arts school and have never been to California, let alone LA, but I couldn't get into this book as much as I did RoA. There were moments of levity and I continue to enjoy Ellis's sparse, in-the-moment style of writing, but overall this book was incredibly depressing and left me longing for Clay to be a more active protagonist. I understand the point of his character is his passivity and his complicity in everything around him, but it made for a frustrating and saddening read. 

Not a bad book, I understand why it popped off in the 80s, just very depressing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Alcohol

Moderate: Mental illness

Minor: Eating disorder