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Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Graveyard Shift by M.L. Rio

14 reviews

xan_van_rooyen's review against another edition

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

4.0

I absolutely loved this, but it was too short. It was such a cool set-up with an awesome cast of characters and I felt like the story was just getting started when it call came to a rather abrupt end. I really hope the author considers expanding this or writing a novel with these maladjusted misfit characters. Alone, this novella tackles some interesting topics about academia and ethics in research but barely skims the surface. This could've been so much more and so much better had it been longer!

I also really enjoyed the author's essay about her own struggles with academia, insomnia, and the toll academic pressure takes on the body, mind, and soul, and how these personal experiences inspire and inform her fiction. I really hope she ends up writing more novels.
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mainereading's review against another edition

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

4.0

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canisand's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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ejjuchau's review against another edition

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dark mysterious 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? No

4.0

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foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • 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

This read like a Scooby-Doo episode mixed with a Reddit horror story.
While the mushroom conceit has been done before,
this fast-paced mystery was still a lot of fun. The writing style was excellent, with a good balance of humour and  poignant reflections. 

I wish this had been a full novel though, I felt like the characters could’ve been more fleshed out and the ending seemed rushed and unsatisfying. 
 
But overall, this is a novella I’d recommend, especially to those who love: 

  • medical gothics that give “things in jars” energy and are Frankenstein-esque
  • dark academia that looks at sketchy research practices, connections and impacts on human nature 
  • reflections on sleep and insomnia

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sea_sea's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? N/A
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Amazing horror novella! 
The mystery and the characters were very alluring and exciting! 
Also I loved the little queer subplot <3. 
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kb_sherman's review against another edition

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

4.5

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lesbiantoad's review against another edition

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dark sad tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
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aseel_reads's review against another edition

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dark funny mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

This was sooo good and creepy but I loved the essay at the end - that's why it gets 5 stars. Just the combination of academia (as in doing a PhD) and insomnia? Me. That's me. I really appreciated the author's honest portrayal and not romanticisation of the instit tion, so good. I hope she writes more stuff! 
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emilywemily6's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-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? No

3.25

I was kind of let down by this novella. This story felt more atmospheric and a little creepy, with a single sprinkle of horror. I wanted more horror! The plot also didn’t move very much in this story, and we get a big reveal halfway through the book and don’t really get anything else. I liked the open ending. The characters are all really distinct, which I think the author did a good job demonstrating, but this story is so short that I feel like just a little longer could have added more to the plot and horror elements. I need more spooky vibes and grotesque horror to keep me going, especially in a novella. The basis of the plot reminded me a lot of What Moves the Dead, and since this book didn’t give me a lot plotwise, it’s hard not to compare them and see what this story lacked. But again, beautiful writing and well written characters that made this an intriguing read.
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