Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Ammazzati amore mio by Ariana Harwicz

12 reviews

rokinjaguar's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

3.0

It’s hard for me to rate this book. I really enjoyed the writing style and willingness to go to the darkest places, but I also felt disappointed. I related with the narrator sometimes and sympathized with her, but I also had a strong enough distaste for her and her choices/mindset that I didn’t really feel much for the characters. She wasn’t compelling because, even though I understand she isn’t well mentally and isn’t being supported well by her family, she also isn’t trying at all to improve things. And yet she thinks she’s better than everyone else. There’s an apathetic condescension to her that made it difficult for me to care about her at all, but I did find so much that was interesting. I wonder if I was supposed to leave the book having less sympathy for the narrator than I started with. If she wasn’t so condescending, if she honestly tried to improve but failed, this would have been so compelling. Oh well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Grief

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Blood, Vomit, and Death of parent

nathiddles_106's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Minor: Infidelity

hannahduda's review against another edition

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

suspicious_salmon's review against another edition

dark tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Forced institutionalization

floatinthevoid's review against another edition

dark 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

4.25

I get why some people are very disturbed by this. But still I appreciate how the author experiments on intrusive and impulsive thoughts, blurring reality and imagination. There are some parts in this book that I found funny, like this one:

"Since when did sitting down and having some water get rid of the desire to die?"

Yea, that sums up my kind of humor 😀

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Pregnancy

Minor: Child abuse and Gun violence

liznank's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Forced institutionalization, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Pregnancy

lauradvb's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

freyamcmillan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

honestly this book is so feral i absolutely love it. read it and could not stop thinking about for months now !! feeling utterly destroyed. it’s so raw and insane and a perfect exploration of being a women and mother and the struggles you face. my fav book i’ve ever read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual content

Moderate: Animal death and Self harm

sophee_568's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

3.75

This was a 5 star prediction, but i am disappointed. It is a good book, but i didnt like the writing style and it distanced me from the story itself.
The book follows a woman who is going through post partum depression of sorts. She hates her husband, hates her child. She thinks about harming them and herself. She does end up harming herself, i think.
The thing is that the book is written in a way that makes you wonder if something is going on or if the protagonist is imagining things, which she is a lot of the time. Sometimes I can vibe w that kinda writing, but in this case it was off putting.
I wanted a clear narrative about this mentally ill woman dealing with the expectations of others on what it means to be a "good wife" or "good mother". It does tackle that subject very well, and i am at fault for expecting a different style.
Its still a good book, I enjoyed it and i would most definitely read it again.
P.s. there is a lot of symbolism with the forest, nature, animals (especially deer). The protagonist is constantly searching for a deer in the woods, even refers to herself as a deer at one point. Most of that stuff sadly went over my head, but i'll make sure to pay more attention during a reread.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Self harm

bookishcori's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Animal death and Suicidal thoughts