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Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'
The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak and Magic by Breanne Randall
5 reviews
witcheep's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
slow-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
1.0
I struggled to get through this book a lot! I found it extremely difficult to take interest or actually care about the characters or the plot. This is because most of the events, thoughts and feelings are rather told than shown: I see no evidence for most of the claimed inner life. The plot goes all over the place, and even if the slightest hints of the main plot remain predictable throuhout the book, there seems to constantly be some random subplot event popping up. The book could have used some strong streamlining!
The one redeeming quality of this book is how it shows facing the death of a loved one and the consequent grieving; as mentioned in the acknowledgements, the author managed to write her own feelings of grief into the book in a way that the characters and the reader can also feel.
The overall vibe of this book is a confusing mix of attempted coziness (small town life, cooking, and gardening) and watered-down tenseness (bad omens, vague curses, and death threats). These two vibes clash in a way that cannot make a cohesive whole. Very vague magic system and magical rituals pulled from thin air when the plot needs a miracle don't help the immersion either: when every out-of-nowhere problem will have an out-of-nowhere magical solution, even the unpredictable becomes boringly predictable.
There is a similar confusion in the main character Sadie. She likes to think herself as having her life put together in her routines, but in reality she is very childish and stubborn to the core. She seems more like a teenager than a twenty-something adult.
It was just another dark thing she didn't want to look in the eye.
Sadie avoids everything she thinks is uncomfortable: escapes in the middle of conversations, refuses to accept facts she doesn't like, and avoids facing her own feelings. Her being as scatterbrained and stubborn as she is, results in narration that constantly grasps to insignificant reminiscing and loses the point of the current events. A considerable amount of the story feels like unnecessary and repetitive filler that aims for cosiness but lands on pure boring rambling. There were also multiple points in the narration when I was lost on what or who the part was talking about; for example a whole paragraph talking about a she that is revealed to be someone else than was mentioned in the previous paragraph, or confusing dialoque tags.
This was not a book for me, and I'm frustrated with myself that I didn't just leave it unfinished.
This was not a book for me, and I'm frustrated with myself that I didn't just leave it unfinished.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Grief, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death and Alcohol
Minor: Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual content, Vomit, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment
roget's review
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Infertility, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
Minor: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, and Death of parent
torturedreadersdept's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail
rromero721's review
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Cancer, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
nrogers_1030's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak & Magic is something magical. I laughed, cried and felt every emotion in between. I feel like it could pull anyone's heart strings. It's been compared to Gilmore Girls and Practical Magic and I agree in a sense; it has characteristics of both, but it has a heart of its own. Ms. Randall has spun a story that is so charming, but real. The importance of self-care and being mentally healthy is a huge in this novel, but it's done subtly so it doesn't feel as if you're listening to a self-help lecture. I can't recommend this book enough. I loved the recipes included; it made you feel like you could bake something alongside Sadie. I feel the same way about The Unfortunate Side Effects of Heartbreak & Magic that I do about Legends and Lattes. I could reread this again and again.
Here's some quotes that held meaning for me:
“No, your problem, carina, is that it’s practically impossible for anyone to get in that heart of yours. And when they do, you love them forever. No matter what. No matter how much they shit all over you.”
'"Time ceases to exist for you in bookstores, and I am not sitting by for three hours while you get hot over books you have no intention of buying.”“But they need me,” Sadie argued.'
'"All the cousins there and endless games of hide-and-seek and secrets and sprinklers. Sticky watermelon fingers and sidewalk chalk. As the years went on, the memories stuck, but the get-togethers didn’t."' - This could have come from a page of my life.
"I will love you every moment of forever."
When your heart is split in two, you can’t be true to either piece. It’s like you’re two different people with one beating heart.”
Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing an advanced reader copy of the book for an honest review. Any quote(s) used in my review have been uncorrected.
Here's some quotes that held meaning for me:
“No, your problem, carina, is that it’s practically impossible for anyone to get in that heart of yours. And when they do, you love them forever. No matter what. No matter how much they shit all over you.”
'"Time ceases to exist for you in bookstores, and I am not sitting by for three hours while you get hot over books you have no intention of buying.”“But they need me,” Sadie argued.'
'"All the cousins there and endless games of hide-and-seek and secrets and sprinklers. Sticky watermelon fingers and sidewalk chalk. As the years went on, the memories stuck, but the get-togethers didn’t."' - This could have come from a page of my life.
"I will love you every moment of forever."
When your heart is split in two, you can’t be true to either piece. It’s like you’re two different people with one beating heart.”
Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for providing an advanced reader copy of the book for an honest review. Any quote(s) used in my review have been uncorrected.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cancer, Cursing, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
Minor: Sexual content, Vomit, Murder, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury
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