Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

We Had to Remove This Post by Hanna Bervoets

34 reviews

cady_sass's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

This is a fascinating topic but the execution is just okay. The author ends the book by stating clearly that while the novel is entirely fictional, the similarities to actual happenings is on purpose and goes on to list many, many sources about real life content moderators and legal action taken against Facebook. Unfortunately, I feel that those articles would be more interesting. The entire premise revolves around the idea that our main protagonist does not want any involvement in legal action against her former employer and promises the reader we will come to understand why. Well, I don’t. I think you just wrote 100 pages about getting dumped while you worked a shitty job. 

If this is supposed to be horror, it didn’t go far enough. If this is supposed to be social commentary, it’s too weird and the focus is placed on the wrong parts of the story. In my humble opinion this could’ve used another 100 or so pages and have one of the characters really, truly fall off their rocker.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

mermaidsherbet's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Antisemitism, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail

laurengeorgia's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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? It's complicated

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Antisemitism, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Rape

scheller_bg31's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-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? It's complicated

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Trafficking, Mass/school shootings, Cannibalism, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

molliundera_'s review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

0.25

Literally nothing like I was expecting? This turned into a book about a toxic relationship pretty much. Yes I get the point that the images they were seeing at work was what was making them mentally ill and toxic, but the focus was on a romantic relationship, not even really on individual mental health. The ending was awful. And also the fact this was supposed to be written as a letter to a lawyer was completely irrelevant and unnecessary. 
That’s not even mentioning the unnecessary homophobia, racism, antisemitism, and fat phobia. Slurs and conversation of these topics were played off as a joke at first, then by the end were cemented as actual beliefs several characters held. 
It has a pretty cover. Literally the only good thing I can say. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Antisemitism, Medical trauma, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

tesslw's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.25

Meet Kayleigh; a (now ex) employee of the company Hexa - a third party to a social media platform, unnamed due to legal reasons. Kayleigh was employed to view hundreds of disturbing videos and photos on a daily basis and determine whether they meet standards to remain up or if they are offensive or disturbing enough to violate guidelines and be flagged for removal - it turns out, the line is thinner than you might imagine. But Kayleigh has good people around her - some solid friends and a girlfriend that help her to manage this unpleasant day job. She’s doing fine! For now… However, as time goes on the result of this constant bombardment is, unsurprisingly, vicarious trauma and internalisation of horrific and harmful events after long term exposure. 

I thought the tension and eventual rifts that emerge between the characters, likely as a result of their emotional moderation being totally shot to pieces was very well framed - this does workplace drama with just the right amount of unexpected twist. We all know I also love an expose of current affairs and this really highlighted the degree of toxicity that we all probably know lurks just below the surface of the social media we all interact with on a daily basis. 

This is definitely jarring and thought provoking - and whilst I wouldn’t say it totally blew my mind, it’s definitely one to mull over after you’ve put it down. And it’s so short, it’s a definitely worth diving in to if it’s on your radar. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

garciaga's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

erinj_96'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? Yes

1.75

Ugh! I wanted this book to be so jarring and messed up and it fell so flat.  The premise is super strong and I wish it was more the moderators having to watch the videos and do something about it and less about the characters outside of work.  Like many people, I’m super confused by the ending and how we go there.  I mean, Kayleigh isn’t a good person but the breaking and entering thing seems random and out of character.  I’m rating this low bc I’m disappointed that it’s not what I thought it would be

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

elliebeemellie's review against another edition

dark tense

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

I think this is probably a decent book that explores topics that we should probably talk about, but I very much regret reading it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Racism, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Antisemitism, Stalking, and Suicide attempt

lycheejelly's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Hate crime, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Antisemitism, Grief, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail