Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Damned If You Do by Alex Brown

4 reviews

fkshg8465's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad 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

4.5

So much fun with great characters - even the two dimensional villains. A nice allegory for young people.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Torture, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Grief, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Body horror, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death

spaghettii's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Death, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Violence, and Abandonment

amobrien's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny 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? Yes

3.25

I thought I was going to enjoy this one much more than I did. The premise is so strong! Queer Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Filipino folklore sounds exactly up my alley, but Damned If You Do unfortunately didn't live up to my expectations.

My main complaint is the narrative voice. It felt very childish. I love young adult literature, and many times I feel YA books can provide a compelling story even for an older audience, but this was not one of those times. Maybe I would have liked this book more if I was younger, but I can't say I would recommend this story to anyone past high school age.

Something I thought this book did really well, however, was balance the heavier topics with humor and lighthearted moments. This story tackles issues of abuse and alcoholism, but it does so in a way that is accessible and appropriate for a young adult audience.

Overall, I was hoping for a lot more out of this story, but I could definitely see it being entertaining for a younger audience!

Thank you Netgalley for providing a digital ARC.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse

wornpagesandendlesscoffey's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark medium-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

3.5

This book was aptly marketed. It really did feel like a Buffy-esque story, except maybe with a bit more drama. I loved seeing a stage manager as an MC in a book like this (maybe a bit partial to the theatre since it’s my job). The romance sprinkled in the story felt very Willow, and it was pretty of cool to see a character that was not white inhabit both those personas. This book was preeeettty dark and dealt with some seriously heavy themes so make sure you check the TW before you dive in!

I was a bit disappointed in how easily the characters moved on from the death of a major influence and honestly think it was glossed over, like Blake’s death was a plot point that pushed it forward and not dealt with as an actual casualty. The bit at the very end where he was memorialized even felt as though it was rushed.  

overall, I enjoyed the story and would recommend to others. It was a solid, enjoyable read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Death