Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Wenn ein Stern erstrahlt by Sarah J. Maas

37 reviews

anjasshelf's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Death, Grief, Sexual content, Violence, Child abuse, War, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Torture, Classism, Colonisation, Gore, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Alcohol, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Racism, and Slavery

bookishbakesco's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense slow-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? It's complicated

2.5

I said I wouldn’t read this after the train wreck that was CC1, but alas, I succumbed to the peer pressure of needing to know the surprise ending. 

Full disclosure: I should have just looked it up on the internet.

Look, I am a massive fan of both ACOTAR and TOG. But this series makes my brain melt. 

CC2 is even more bloated and convoluted than the first. There are subplots that have no purpose in moving the narrative forward, the two main characters are the worst in all her series, and I am so over the Bond Villain style evil plan reveals at the end. 

There are also so many phrases used in this book that make me cringe. Particularly when it comes to the spicy scenes

Spoiler

(ie. balls tightening? For arousal? Someone, please tell her that, anatomically, that is just NOT a thing 🫠)

- it just brings you out of it. 

That being said, I’m giving this 2.5 stars because I didn’t feel the need to DNF, I liked the fact we got to see from other (better, more rounded) side characters’ perspectives, even if they were ALL male, and ultimately, because the ending will make me read on. 

I have zero willpower.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Alcohol, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Murder, Blood, Drug use, Addiction, and Cursing

Minor: Gun violence

cady_sass's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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? Yes

5.0

I need some time to process this. Holy shit. I’ve never read 700 pages so fast in my life. I have so many questions. My heart, in pieces. My brain, on the wall. My soul, well… 
5 stars. Can’t wait for the next one. SJM if you fumble this as hard as ACOSF I will never recover. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Grief, Medical content, Murder, Sexual content, Torture, War, Death, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Blood, Classism, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Child abuse, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Alcohol, Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, and Gaslighting

cakrolik's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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: Cursing, Classism, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Torture, Alcohol, Death, Slavery, Blood, Violence, and War

erkietheturkey's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexual content, Misogyny, Blood, Torture, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, and Death

Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Cursing, Classism, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Child abuse, and Sexism

Minor: Body shaming, Confinement, War, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief

datskira's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Gore, Gun violence, Cursing, Alcohol, Blood, Violence, Death, Sexual content, Torture, and War

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Medical content, and Physical abuse

alices13thdiary's review against another edition

adventurous funny tense 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

5.0

how am i not supposed to only reread sjm's books after this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Sexual content, Violence, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, War, Blood, Slavery, and Child abuse

Minor: Infertility and Infidelity

imcourtneymarie's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

I liked this one more than CC1 but points taken off for some of the unnecessary smut. I don’t mind spice but i found myself glossing over those moments towards the end because they weren’t adding anything to the plot (which i deeply enjoy!) 

Loved the OMG moments throughout. Lots to think about. Can’t wait for CC3 👀

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Murder, Colonisation, and Blood

Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, Alcohol, and Infertility

marleywrites's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Cursing

Moderate: Torture, Gun violence, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Addiction

Minor: War and Slavery

anastashamarie's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.25

I feel like everyone is rating this purely on the last pre-epilogue chapter if I'm being honest, but I'm trying to be objective here. I'm gonna keep this short and sweet because I feel like anything more would be spoiler central...

First 1/2 to 2/3 of the book is a 3/5. The pacing was slow. The plot was unnecessarily convoluted, with tons of dead ends that didn't really move the story forward imho. I honestly put the book down multiple times to read other things because it just wasn't keeping my interest that well. But we got lots of Bryce and Hunt and lots of friendship moments (both of which I love) so I'm not too mad at it.

Last 30-40% of the book is solidly 4.5 stars, however. After the first half drug on, the pacing was cranked up to 1000, and I felt like I couldn't put it down in the way I've felt about other SJM books. The last 300 or so pages were very intense, to the point that, as I neared the climax of the story, my husband asked "why I was so jimoy and breathing heavily." 

And yes, that ending has me VERY intrigued and VERY excited to see what comes next. But I don't think that it's fair to call this 5 stars just because I like where SJM is taking her storyline.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, War, Confinement, and Grief

Moderate: Blood, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Cursing, and Slavery

Minor: Torture and Drug use