Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

58 reviews

bail33's review

challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Would rate this more than five. No book has ever made me feel this way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Alcoholism

cdoughnut's review

dark emotional slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Miscarriage

katy_bee's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

I started this book a couple of times and dropped it very early on. As I stated to get through it further, I considered dropping it again. 

The main character was clearly in pain, but also hard work and I guess that's the theme of the book. I can't say I enjoyed it, because at times it was very sad- but it was compelling and I appreciate the ending

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

m_corsano's review against another edition

funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I adored this book. The writing style is so intimate and precise that is almost read like someone’s (my own?) diary. It is the most accurate and sympathetic depiction of living with mental illness or having someone in your life with mental illness I’ve ever come across.  This is a book I will think about for a long time. It changed me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical content

Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Miscarriage

aileen_macalister's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

I have a love hate relationship with this book. I was captivated by the story of Martha and her relationships but there were style choices that kept taking me out of it.
Mosan writes a complex and altogether frustrating character that makes you read on just in the hope that some good will come of it.
She says this book is about more than mental health and I can see that point of view. At it's core though the story would not unfold without the mental health struggles and the mental health struggles would not happen without the story.
I was not expecting this to be as much about motherhood as it was. Without giving too much away, I found it's description of motherhood and the conflicting thoughts women in today's society, especially those who struggle with mental health, have on the subject raw and beautiful.
I wish I could have scored it a 4/5 but I could not get past the style choices which is very much a personal preference but it really distracted me from the book's core themes and message. So 3.5/5 is where I have settled.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Infertility, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Abortion, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Death and Death of parent

epellicci's review against another edition

challenging sad 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

3.0

Mixed feelings with this one. One the one hand, Sorrow and Bliss is an amazingly visceral portrayal of mental health, and a points (particularly towards the end) did make me feel connected to the main character, Martha, and emotional. On the other, Martha spends most of the book intensely unlikable, and Meg Mason's decision to not name her condition/talk about it in code gave me a sense of stigma and frustration around her journey and diagnosis that just didn't sit right.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, and Suicide attempt

rambling_reading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Alcoholism and Emotional abuse

gwenc0423's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness

Minor: Domestic abuse

amaya_jam's review against another edition

emotional 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

This book was 90% sorrow and a scant 10% bliss. the last 30 pages or so really saved it. it took me weeks to read this. i really wanted to love it but i had to drag my way through most of it. i think my lack of depression made me have a much harder time sympathizing with Martha.

Despite this, I found myself highlighting a dozen or so passages and could see myself recommending this to a couple people. maybe i’ll like the book more as i mull over it in my mind.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Pregnancy

Moderate: Domestic abuse

kiwichill's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Mental illness, alcoholism, family, motherhood, marriage 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy