Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Before the Devil Breaks You by Libba Bray

16 reviews

dejahentendu's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

A ghost story/mystery set in the 1920's in NYC. As the third in the series, it wraps up some storylines while bringing others to the forefront. It ranges across the city and involves a cavalcade of characters living their lives with psychic abilities. They save the city from the ghost invasion, but there is sadness and loss along the way.

The book was clearly written in the run up to the 2016 presidential election. Interestingly though, Bray was able to stay true to the time period while accurately reflecting what was going on in 2016 as well. 

Notably, Bray did an excellent job representing mental illness with grace and understanding. Her depictions were sympathetic and accurate. I was impressed. I've really enjoyed her writing since I discovered her.

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_haggis_'s review against another edition

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challenging dark informative mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75


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ashdawn's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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? No

5.0

It was so good! This book is way darker and sadder than the 1st 2 in the series. 😭😭😭😭 

It wrecked me. 

Also, this book had way more sexual content than the others

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maddiereadswords's review

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4.5

Great news!! Even after reading this book three times and fully knowing what's coming, the ending of this book can still make me cry. It's fine, I'm totally fine.

This doesn't have the same creepy, haunting vibes as the first two books, and the two parts feel a little more disconnected to the point where I almost wish it had been two separate books (mostly because the back half in particular is so fast-paced and plot heavy that it really loses that spooky edge, and also partly because I selfishly can never get enough of these characters.) This is easily the darkest and most "adult" installment so far, and while it doesn't hit quite as hard as the first two for me, it's still an absolute powerhouse of a book that drags me through the full spectrum of human emotion every time I read it. <3
Also shout out to Ling Chan for being so autistic that she accidentally bypassed internalized homophobia, and to Miriam Lubovitch and Viola Campbell for being such milfs that they keep adopting fucked up children like Pokemon despite being held captive. I love women.

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ellie_gonzalez's review

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dark emotional reflective 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

3.75


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heather_freshparchment's review

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.5


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allisonsmith120's review

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dark emotional informative mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0


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readwithsuzanna's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

5.0


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kirstym25's review

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adventurous dark mysterious 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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larareads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious sad 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

4.0


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