Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Mandibula by Mónica Ojeda

41 reviews

beraspa's review against another edition

dark reflective tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Me he quedado blanca

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship

pil4r'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

4.0

 Mandíbula es un trabajo de ficción literaria latinoamericana completamente perturbador y atrapante.
El protagonismo está tomado por mujeres problemáticas pero sobre todo por los vínculos oscuros y pegajosos entre ellas. La adolescencia femenina se erige como algo espeso, turbio, que brilla entreteniendose con el peligro y la violencia. La agresión e incomprensión signan los roles de hijas y madres.
La trama juega inteligentemente con la construcción de la intriga y un horror blanco, coqueteando con todos los límites. Ojeda da una clase magistral -a veces pecando de cierta pretensión, es cierto- muy psicoanalista y extremadamente cinematográfica sobre esto, sobre la intersección entre el miedo, el deseo, la violencia y las mujeres.
El libro es oscuro, retorcido, pasan muchas cosas al mismo tiempo y, sin embargo, es díficil dejar de ver.
Recomiendo altamente para amantes del terror de la Enríquez, para personas dispuestas a entretenerse y pensar sobre lo problemáticamente endiosado, violento y asqueroso de la adolescencia femenina siempre y cuando no les intimiden ni aburran demasiado los excesos de incisos, subordinadas y referencias a madres lacanianas. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child death and Mental illness

Minor: Religious bigotry

lus'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
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

What if you were a teenage girl, raised catholic and in private schools? What if you loved your best friend very much but didn't have the words to say it? What if instead of 'love' you used words like 'twin'? What if your best friend fashioned herself a prophetess for a God she built out of creepypastas and Lovecraftian horror? What if your teacher hated you and your kind and what if your best friend betrays you, somehow? What if the worst thing in the world is to be a mother? What if it is to be a daughter? To be a teacher is to be a mother is to be a daughter and to be all of these is to have jaws strong enough to cannibalize homes and mothers and daughters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Murder

antimony's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

I struggled a lot with the writing style at points. just like Our Share of Night, it would regularly go on multi-page stretches with no paragraph breaks, leading me to wonder if perhaps this is a perfectly normal literary convention in south america or at least for writers of literary horror there .... but this was really good once I got into it. I especially loved the chapter which was annelise's essay about fear/white horror/cosmic horror..that was really interesting. and I was really intrigued by what was going on with the girls at their meetings in the building and I also really liked the epistolary format. the ending felt so gaping wide open which I wasn't as much of a fan of but ah well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Animal death, Homophobia, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

catmisae's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

3.75

I appreciated how the author depicted each character’s unique distress at the erosion of their own sense of identity as an autonomous person. I took a point and change off the star rating because I feel like the story kind of trailed off at the end. Fans of Fight Club would probably enjoy this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Kidnapping

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Self harm

Minor: Animal death and Child death

rylee_the_captain_krane's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Blood, and Vomit

Moderate: Alcohol

slawgreensss's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Kidnapping

Minor: Child death and Sexual assault

oliviapincin's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Body horror, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Child death, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, Sexual harassment, and Classism

fernandaptln's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Incest, and Stalking

Minor: Animal death

elisascrive's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.5

Found myself gnashing at the end without even realising. It always keeps you on the edge. Not a five-star read just because I thought the ending would be much more devastating. Still, the rest of the book is a masterpiece of language and flow. 

It is not an easy read though, very explicit with toxic relationships all over. Motherhood and "sisterhood" are extremely relevant to the whole story and plot, with graphic depictions scattered throughout the novel.   

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia

Minor: Alcohol