Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Swallow the Air by Tara June Winch

7 reviews

misty_kb's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Death of parent, and Colonisation

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Suicide

thebookcident's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Suicide, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Rape, and Sexual violence

menomica's review

adventurous dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

I felt Aboriginal because Mum had made me proud to be, told me I got magic and courage from Gundyarri, the spirit man. It was then I felt Aboriginal, I felt like I belonged, but when Mum left, I stopped being Aboriginal. I stopped feeling like I belonged. Anywhere.

I think this book is nice. The was a bit superfluous, but I really liked the message. I just think it wasn’t in the right headspace to really absorb it all. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcoholism and Domestic abuse

Minor: Animal death, Racial slurs, and Deportation

wetdirtreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Racism, Rape, and Death of parent

Minor: Suicide and Police brutality

melodypowers65's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-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? No

4.0

Objectively, I think there is no doubt this is a very good and beautifully written book. The way it shows the intergenerational trauma of Australia's Indigenous people from the dispossession of their lands and the destruction of their culture was really well done. My 4-star rating is based on this.

However, my current mental headspace meant I struggled with the depictions of drug abuse, domestic violence and racism, and even with the very descriptive prose and changing timelines at times. The book doesn't solely focus on these things - it also has happy memories and beautiful depictions of country - but there was enough that I found it difficult to read as an "immediately before bed" book.

I would still recommend this book to people who would like to read about the continuing trauma faced by Australia's Indigenous people as written by an Aboriginal woman, but I will note that I preferred The Yield, Winch's other novel, purely from a storytelling perspective.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Racism, and Rape

Minor: Sexual violence

penguinsquack's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Suicide, Grief, and Death of parent

carleesi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.75

Heart wrenching, poetic, emotional, painful, soft. This book reads like a steadily flowing River, such beautiful prose that it often disguises the sharp rock that’s around the next bend.

This story is moving in a way that left me with a dull ache in my chest and a small flicker of hope. So beautifully written. Tara June Winch is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Racism

Moderate: Rape and Suicide