Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

A Welcome Reunion: A Short Story by Lucinda Berry

16 reviews

blreads15's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Torture, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Murder

alinodino's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Stalking, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Murder, Violence, and Death

erica_reads_things's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

A solid short follow up to a decent read! I liked seeing the characters again years and years later, the new added layers and conflict. It was an interesting look into after the story happened. I wanted even more, honestly! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Grief, Death, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Stalking, and Child abuse

Minor: Death of parent, Infertility, Abandonment, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Rape

cheeserue's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense fast-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

4.0

after I finished reading, I learned that this is actually #1.5 in the series. I will now be reading book #1

“She was a rabid dog, Christopher, and I put her down.”

that was absolutely crazy. Hope Janie is the definition of the tragic  "child can't be helped" story. sometimes no matter how hard you or anyone else tries you can't reform everyone. some people are truly evil.

Hannah's actions blow my mind. maybe I'm incapable of understanding because I'm not a mother; but I'd never even think of

actually killing someone

I completely understand wanting to keep your child safe and I also understand how post partum can completely change who you are; I just couldn't fathom.

the ending left me with more questions than answers. what happens next?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Abandonment, Confinement, Infertility, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Murder and Sexual assault

amaranth_wytch's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Violence

Moderate: Gaslighting, Gore, Child abuse, Death of parent, Mental illness, Grief, Stalking, Self harm, and Torture

Minor: Confinement, Infidelity, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol

katelynndzindzio's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Janie continues her manipulative tactics but this time she doesn't get away with it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Mental illness, Blood, Abandonment, Torture, Physical abuse, Murder, and Emotional abuse

nokvi's review

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

3.75

The voice acting on this truly was one of the better parts of this book. A quick easy read that frankly, so far I don't think you even need to read the book before this as I think it does a decent recap to get you up to date as to what are the main concerns. Ngl there were moments where they got me and I thought that I knew where things were going but I figured out the twist pretty quickly. 

The girls are saying she has a habit of leaving these open endings in her stories and tbh that's not my vibe, an ambiguous ending every now and again but please I like things closed and done.

Overall a quick easy read that doesn't necessarily change your life but it does keep you occupied. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Murder, Deadnaming, and Child abuse

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, and Confinement

twistykris's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.25

I read this immediately after reading The Perfect Child, as this is a sort of novella follow-up.

Some things answered, more things things left unanswered, only now 10 years in the future.

It's only 80 pages but I feel like this gave us nothing and could have given us SOMETHING more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, and Murder

Moderate: Blood

Minor: Drug abuse, Bullying, and Rape

michelles_book_nook's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

⚠️ CW: violence, murder, child abuse, mental health and mentions of self harm and rape ⚠️ If you loved The Perfect Child but wanted more from the cliff hanger ending then you need to read this book. Janie is the last person Hannah and Christopher Bauer want to see again but Janie’s moved back to Clarksville and she’s no longer the frail child that Hannah and Christopher adopted over 11 years ago who destroyed their lives. Now Janie is out of juvenile detention and publicly promoting her new tell-all memoir. At just 18, Janie has a violent and tragic story to share brimming with grisly details. However, Janie has now taken a new name and claims to have reformed her sociopathic ways and she’s ready to make amends. But when the Bauers refuse to meet with her, she takes matters into her own hands. After Piper, the social worker, formerly assigned to the case makes disturbing revelations about Janie’s calculated behavior, the Bauers brace for Janie’s next move, determined to protect their family at all costs. This short read was a great follow on from The Perfect Child and I loved the gripping tale of what happened next with Janie and the Bauer's. It's one of those that is really hard to review without giving spoilers but I loved the terrifying return of Janie. Overall, I highly recommend this one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Child abuse, and Mental illness

Minor: Self harm and Rape

dilani's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

2.0

tbh I think Janie could’ve been dealt with differently

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse and Murder

Minor: Rape and Mental illness