Reviews tagging 'Dysphoria'

Mary: An Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy

15 reviews

jesikakaley's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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himpersonal's review

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dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Mary, you are my hero! I declare this so on behalf of all middle-aged, perimenopausal women living under a careless patriarchy. Nat Cassidy, your momma raised you right! Aside from your author's note, where your devotion to your mom was evident, I can only conclude she taught you well based on how you wrote Mary's transformation.

If I could, I would teach this book as part of a college-level women's studies or feminism class. There is so much symbolism all over the book, including the obvious, like the mirrors, the furies, the ants, the hot flashes, her Loved Ones, etc. I gave Mary and Nat an imaginary chest-bump every time she seethed against being called crazy. And I enjoyed rooting for and watching Mary transform from a nobody (not even she gave herself any consideration) to someone who is on the cusp of extraordinary. Her rage is what drives her, and she didn't even know she had any until she had to use it. I have so much optimism for Mary's future.

The afterword was worth sticking around for. I can't believe Cassidy started this book at age 13. Brilliant. Thank you for speaking on behalf of every woman who has ever been medically gaslit and/or subjected to male doctors who were dismissive of our pain. Thank you for celebrating all the invisible and overlooked women who were put out to pasture. Thank you for being a wonderful ally against the ageism women face, should we be lucky enough to live long enough to have to deal with it.

This was my first Cassidy book. I really look forward to getting to know more of this writer's works.

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disguisedposer's review

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

4.0


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kyrstin_p1989's review

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dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.5

Full of all the best things for a horror novel — murder, gore, cultish religion, kidnapping, insanity. This book was gross but kept my attention. Horror isn’t my favorite genre but I did enjoy this during Halloween creepy season. 

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nathanielrj's review

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adventurous dark tense medium-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

4.5

Wow. Listened to the audiobook and was thoroughly gripped throughout.

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hauntedantiqueshop's review

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

4.25

I was on the waitlist for this book with my library FOR SIX MONTHS!!!! I was psyched to finally read it. I thought it had an interesting premise and liked where everything was going, up to one point at the end. The whole Nancy twist really threw me, I’m still a little confused on that if I’m honest. But it’s a Good For Her™️ book nonetheless! I also really liked and appreciated the author’s note and afterword. Will definitely read more from this author!

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kate_303's review

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challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5


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kchen138's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-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? Yes

5.0

Long but so worth it. Incredibly dark, gory, insightful, sensitive, witty, and relatable.

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dijigoo53's review

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dark reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

An incredible portrait of the mundane horrors of being middle-aged and the psychological pitfalls that accompany it. While conventional horror tropes are used throughout, at no point does the book become "predictable." This book blew me out of the water! 

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natspat98's review against another edition

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

4.0


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