Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

There There by Tommy Orange

47 reviews

mitrabird2010's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Mass/school shootings, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Gun violence

katekatiekait's review against another edition

dark emotional funny informative reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Addiction, Murder, Alcohol, Racism, Violence, Drug use, and Mass/school shootings

Moderate: Racial slurs, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, Grief, and Genocide

Minor: Physical abuse, Cultural appropriation, Excrement, Bullying, Cancer, Terminal illness, Suicide, Pregnancy, Abortion, and Car accident

readingwithgoose's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Alcohol, Blood, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Body shaming, Rape, Excrement, and Abortion

franklola's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Cancer, Death, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Car accident, Suicide, Mental illness, Death of parent, Mass/school shootings, Rape, Alcohol, Gun violence, Drug abuse, Grief, Abandonment, Addiction, Blood, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, and Sexual violence

siaeme12's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-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

4.25

Other people here have explained far better than I could so I'll leave it at this: There There was lyrically written and thought provoking. It was real, intense, and well woven. Definitely recommend, but know that there is discussion of substance abuse, violence against women, gun violence, poverty, and other things that come alongside deep rooted systemic oppression. This isn't a light read by any means, but it is certainly an important one

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Gun violence, Death, Drug use, Alcoholism, Addiction, Grief, and Mass/school shootings

Moderate: Colonisation, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Racism, and Physical abuse

Minor: Cancer

hollydyer328's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

5.0

Fantastic! Tommy Orange is an excellent writer, both in prose and in authenticity of the Native American experience. I usually don't prefer character-driven novels, but you can't help yourself with this one. Orange pours his heart out into every single character to show the vast spectrum of what a Native American individual can look like. His scathing critique of the white-washing and erasure of the genocide of the Native American community in US history is excellent. The ending was so heart-breaking and I was sad to have the story end. Overall, I feel like Tommy Orange is one of those authors who I will be excited to read anything he writes, no matter what it is. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence and Genocide

Moderate: Mental illness

cheazcakeguy's review against another edition

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

4.75

This was a powerful read. Tommy Orange's writing feels like there's a real weight behind it with every sentence. It forces you to slow down at times and really reflect on the characters and their stories. You experience the full range of human emotion while reading this book, and there were several truly gut-wrenching moments, especially at the end. The ending

was shocking yet inevitable, and I can't stop thinking about the incredible metaphor of the spider's web, both a home and a trap, which brought the characters together...

Highly recommend, though this isn't a light read and it will tear your heart out.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Mass/school shootings, Blood, Violence, Colonisation, Death, Genocide, and Gun violence

Moderate: Mental illness, Car accident, Addiction, Death of parent, Suicide, Cancer, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, and Grief

Minor: Self harm, Animal death, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Child death, Rape, Racism, and Sexual assault

leahrosereads's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.25

There There was such a stunning, haunting at times story, that ended with such a heart wrenching moment. I'm glad I read this when I did, because Wandering Stars, the follow up to this novel will be out in a few months.

While I normally don't mind open endings, I really want to see more from these characters and the aftermath of what happened at the powwow.

Orange's poetic storytelling did so much for this book, bringing a lot of really necessary and hard hitting conversations to light in digestible moments.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Violence, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, and Gun violence

pferdina's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.0

Twelve interconnected characters illustrate modern native life in Oakland. Called the Urban Indians, these are not the reservation inhabitants nor the stereotypes of American Indians. The chapters are told from different perspectives. It was difficult for me to read the urban dialogue and to identify with the characters but I’m glad I read this.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Colonisation, Alcoholism, Cursing, Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Addiction, and Alcohol

Minor: Pregnancy, Abortion, Cancer, Racism, Drug use, Mental illness, Car accident, and Domestic abuse

elleryfunk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

3.0

If the content warnings are not too much for you then please read this book. It’s short, and easy to read (not in terms of the content but the way it flows and grabs attention). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Mass/school shootings

Moderate: Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, Car accident, Drug abuse, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Mental illness, and Murder