Reviews tagging 'Schizophrenia/Psychosis '

Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer

22 reviews

theirgracegrace's review

adventurous dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.25

Annihilation starts off with a series of questions, but its ending does not answer them to incredible effect. The plot centres around an expedition of four scientists who are the twelfth expedition to a place called Area X, where a strange historical event has led to the complete removal of human civilization. What this "human civilization" is replaced with, and what the four uncover about each other, tells a harrowing tale about what it means to be human. 

I was recommended this by a friend who was into biology, and I can definitely say it was a worthy recommendation! I read it all in a handful of sittings over the course of twenty-four hours and this was because I could not put it down. Each revelation is followed by something even more tense and terrifying, and the ending leaves so much unanswered...leading nicely into a second and third book. An amazing read, all in all!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Alcoholism, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Addiction, Body horror, Child abuse, Gore, Alcohol, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Death, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Suicide and Cursing

One of the characters uses hypnosis on the others, including a (ineffectual) command to kill themselves.

michaelion's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

3.75

Take a shot every time you see "Not really." So, about 5 shots.

Very good. Read it in two sittings, same day. Wasn't too creepy or scary, I was just as curious as the mc. Maybe men CAN be good writers... we shall see with the sequels!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Rape, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Murder, Death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Confinement

Minor: Cancer and Gun violence

droggelbecher42's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.75

Very trippy book, reads like a fucked up nightmare /positive
There isn't really a strong plot, but the book still manages to build up an incredible tension.
The author definitely knows how to create an atmosphere and his description of certain things created very vivid images in my mind

The inside of the tower is especially clear in my mind. The fucking fleshy walls covered in weird mushroom words. THE FUCK??

The ending is a bit too open for my taste, but maybe the sequels will at least answer some of the myriad of questions that I have right now

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Body horror, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Fire/Fire injury, Pandemic/Epidemic, Terminal illness, and Murder

_nem_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

4.0

There are so many questions left at the end of the book, especially with reading the synopsis of the second book. I'll definitely be continuing the series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Body horror, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Blood, and Gun violence

Moderate: Alcohol and Murder

Minor: Terminal illness, Cancer, and Pandemic/Epidemic

arayo's review

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Murder, Death, Gaslighting, and Gun violence

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide, and Cancer

ashleybakerwrites's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense slow-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? No

4.25

It was pretty good! Definitely unlike any book I've ever read. I thought the writing was very interestingly technical. I can say it probably won't work for everyone- but if you settle in for the atmosphere rather than the character development- you'll have a good time. The stuff was spooky- and I'd recc this to all my sciencey/foragey friends. I feel like they'd get a kick out of this. May return to the series later if I keep thinking about this like I am now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Body horror, and Gun violence

Moderate: Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide attempt, and Gore

sophieamreacher's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Strange and intriguing, I just had to keep reading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Cancer, Gore, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Confinement, Abandonment, Death, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, and Suicide

kurumipanda's review

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Death

Moderate: Gaslighting, Gun violence, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Cancer and War

emilywemily6's review

dark mysterious reflective fast-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? No

3.75

This was weird. And I guess that’s the point of it. It wasn’t as eerie and haunting as I thought it would be, but it definitely had both those tones in a mild way. I have so many questions and I think this book will plague my thoughts for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

wispy_reviews's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book made me feel unsafe like nothing else has.  Every moment in the narrative was uncomfortable, nerve racking, and terrifying in a way I’d never seen before.
An easy recommendation for anyone interested in cosmic horror and wanting to branch out of H.P. Lovecraft; where Lovecraft decided to abstain from direct description to allow the reader’s imagination to run wild Vandermeer doesn’t let you rest with oppressively detailed descriptions of horrors that you wish were unknown.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Suicide, Emotional abuse, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis