Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat

7 reviews

queenshrike's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense 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

4.5

I had to read this for a college course years ago. And I always meant to come back and read it again for myself. I've done that now, settled that in myself. 

This book is still so touching and so painful, even after all these years. I can't say I love it. But I felt it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Blood, Self harm, Pregnancy, Grief, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Suicide, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders

arbitrary_convenience's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

Please don’t read this if you have sexual trauma, because that’s a big theme here. 
It wasn’t something I would read for fun or relaxation so much as for perspective. I think it shows the effects of how your childhood shapes you as an adult. It was hard to read at some times because of its themes and I did have to put it down for a while and come back to it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

shansometimes's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Eating disorder

Minor: Rape, Suicide, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Death of parent, and Cancer

ap97379203's review

dark inspiring sad tense 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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexism, Violence, Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Fatphobia, Death of parent, and Death

nicolaroux31's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

4.5

A hauntingly beautiful reflection on the relationship between mothers and daughters, bonded by the ties of intergenerational trauma. Danticat’s writing draws you in and keeps you ensnared—I couldn’t put this book down! Cw for sexual violence, mental illness, self-harm, eating disorder, and fatphobia.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Fatphobia

mgraves89's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Abortion, Cancer, and Panic attacks/disorders

clarereadstheworld's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

 Pain and trauma unite four generations of Haitian women in this profound novel, which explores their shared experiences of gender based violence passed down from mother to daughter.

The novel begins when Sophie is 12 years old. She lives happily with her aunt in the Haitian village of Croix-des-Rosets. Suddenly, one day her mother (who she hasn't seen since she was a baby) summons for her to come to America. Sophie is forced to leave behind everything and everyone she knows and loves to start a new life in America.

I thought this was just going to be an interesting, thought provoking novel exploring the experience of immigration, and the trauma of families separated by immigration. However, half way through the novel Sophie turns 18, falls in love and things take a much darker turn. Sophie's virginity becomes a major obsession for her mother, as it had been for her mother's mother before, and for generations before. In trying to be what she believed to be a 'good mother' she actually inflictes a lot of pain and trauma on her daughter. I found the rest of the novel quite hard to read, as both Sophie and her mum struggled to deal with the traumas inflicted upon them.

Some of the effects of the trauma I felt were very compassionately and very well written, but not all. The last section of the novel felt rather rushed, and several new elements were thrown in without being given the time I felt they needed to be fully explored. I would have liked to have taken more time seeing more detail about what happened after Sophie returns to America for the second time.

I did really enjoy the descriptions of rural life in Haïti (in between all the pain and sadness). Danticat has a beautiful writing style, and I could really feel the village life all around me as I was reading. The sections in Haïti were absolutely my favourite.

I was relieved the novel ended with a cautious note of hope that maybe the cycle of suffering would be broken. I don't think I would have coped otherwise.

Trigger Warnings: Rape and sexual violence. FGM and eating disorders briefly mentioned.
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Self harm, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, and Body horror