Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

The Power by Naomi Alderman

13 reviews

lesemaus2303's review against another edition

adventurous challenging reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

Such a fascinating thought experiment!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Blood, Torture, and Child death

oceans_hannah's review

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

2.0

A bizarre read which I wasn't expecting. Excellent idea but not executed well. I wish some of the sexual assault scenes weren't included as that ruined parts of the book for me. Almost dnf but Tunde's story made me want to read on, although the ending felt incomplete as no loose ends were tied. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, and Rape

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Suicide, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Drug use, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Gun violence, Hate crime, and Violence

kys831's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark hopeful inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Rape, Torture, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Physical abuse, Kidnapping, and Genocide

steds's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

As audiobook. Intense, interesting, thought provoking.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Torture, Trafficking, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Murder, Police brutality, War, Genocide, Hate crime, Slavery, Violence, Bullying, Death, and Gaslighting

gabgeh's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Incredible. Amazing. Thought-provoking. Best book I've read this year. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, Torture, Violence, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Trafficking, War, Xenophobia, Body horror, Death, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Transphobia, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Abandonment, Death of parent, Drug use, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Slavery

welkinvault's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

The idea behind this novel is just astounding.  The novel just rips along and pulled me with it.  but  - I had a lot of reservations with it, one of which is that it is very cis gendered, and it actually felt dated.  

and the ending, the back and forth between ?academics? it just made me laugh as it was so clumsily done. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Violence, Child abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, and Sexism

Moderate: Slavery, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Sexual harassment, Vomit, and Religious bigotry

maddiebusick's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Stalking, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, and War

mikki_9's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, War, and Death of parent

Moderate: Abandonment, Ableism, Bullying, Confinement, and Mental illness

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Pregnancy, Racism, and Transphobia

supernova_reader's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, Violence, War, and Xenophobia

epellicci's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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? It's complicated

1.5

I found The Power was horrific almost for the sake of it as the book went on, and the plot lacked confidence as the story headed towards its conclusion. The final chapters trail off into an ambiguous and stilted jumble which felt given up on when considering the particular and uncomfortable detail which Alderman went into throughout the rest of the book. The four characters leading the narration lacked dimension, and I found the way that everyone (excluding Tunde) had basically the same goal of political/religious dominance in mind lazy.  As the book progressed, the characters personalities basically all bled into one for me, and at times I forgot whether I was reading from Allie's perspective or Roxy's. A concept with a lot of potential, executed badly. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Medical content, Misogyny, Slavery, and War

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis