Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Strangers by Katherena Vermette

8 reviews

lillypowell's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Addiction, and Child death

Moderate: Alcohol, Abortion, Drug use, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Medical content

Minor: Colonisation and Pandemic/Epidemic

dnlrbchd's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Medical content, Abortion, Child death, Emotional abuse, Grief, War, Violence, Abandonment, and Death of parent

Minor: Colonisation, Child abuse, and Pedophilia

emmasbookishself's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

A beautiful companion novel to The Break. 

There is an abundance of loss, inter generational trauma and pain but if you look closely this book is so full of love, hope and resilience. 

These characters make you feel right along with them, and you hope for them as they navigate their pains. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Medical content, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, and Mental illness

allthereads_neverthetime's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Abortion, Grief, Drug use, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Alcohol, Physical abuse, and Violence

soobooksalot's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, Suicide attempt, Child death, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Abortion, Alcohol, Death of parent, Drug use, Mental illness, and Pregnancy

sarah984's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful slow-paced

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

4.0

I was a little bit hesitant going into this one because I was worried it might turn into a sort of "redemption arc" for Phoenix where she's suddenly not at fault anymore for the part she played in the events of The Break. I really enjoyed it, though.

At its heart, this is a book about mothers and daughters, and the way people try (and sometimes fail) to connect. The characters all have unique voices (though I don't get why some were first person and some were third person) and perspectives. It was interesting to read about the same events from the wildly differing points of view of two characters who were both there. There were a few parts that felt kind of like they were included to check off a list (one character’s abortion felt a little "okay I haven't included this experience yet" for me).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Drug use, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Ableism, Abortion, Alcohol, Child death, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Medical content, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse

Minor: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Self harm, Sexual violence, and Vomit

biblizo's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Pedophilia, and Rape

maplegreen's review

challenging emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Child death, Death of parent, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Pregnancy