Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston

6 reviews

kyrstin_p1989's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

While I think this book was a little overhyped on TikTok, I still found the premise and the story arc interesting. It was a little different than most thriller/murder mysteries I’ve read in the past. The narrator is unreliable yet likeable. There were a lot of twists and turns, some expected and others unexpected. The ending is a little bit of a cliffhanger which is fun and leaves the reader wanting more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Death, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Murder, Stalking, Sexism, Violence, Death of parent, Alcohol, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

oxfordcommas91's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-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

This book had me absolutely gripped! I’d been seeing this book all over instagram and booktok so I was suspicious about whether it would live up to the hype, and boy did it! I love a page-turner thriller that isn’t super dark or scary, so this really fit the bill. The twists and turns throughout were absolutely delicious - I was truly on the edge of my seat the whole time and found it difficult to put this book down to go to work or function in real life! Fabulously written and highly compelling, I recommend this to anyone who wants a book that will get them out of a slump, because it certainly did that for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Death, Car accident, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, Death of parent, Cancer, Suicide, and Violence

disguisedposer's review

dark mysterious 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting and Death of parent

Minor: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, Addiction, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Car accident

kimveach's review

adventurous dark informative mysterious reflective tense 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

5.0

I'd wanted to read an excellent thriller, and this is the one.  This book had an interesting protagonist, excellent pacing, helpful flashbacks, and a terrific ending.  I thoroughly enjoyed this, even if it kept me up late.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Car accident, Outing, Terminal illness, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, Grief, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, and Bullying

redefiningrachel's review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Car accident, Toxic relationship, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Gaslighting, Violence, Alcoholism, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcohol

Minor: Drug use

calculated_reader's review

mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Death, Violence, and Drug use