Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

4 reviews

septi's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Gaslighting

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying and Injury/Injury detail

gbyronwilliams's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Excrement, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Body horror, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Excrement, and Alcohol

ashleyalyse's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Violence, Vomit, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Excrement

eep's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

0.25

I absolutely hated this book. Its depiction of mental illness is harmful and gross. The author's attempts to be self-aware ultimately fail, and it follows every horrible part of 'possession'. The premise is a bit interesting, and could have worked if the author delved further into the effects of the TV show on the family, specifically Marjorie.

... and didn't have Marjorie ultimately kill herself and her parents, leaving her baby sister to rot..

When the main question of a book is "Is this character possessed or mentally ill?", it's hard to find anything likable about it. It's annoyingly written, and is essentially just trauma porn.

If you're looking for well written horror with investigation of mental illness at the forefront, I highly suggest The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson. As a person with mental-illness, that book was almost comforting and beautifully written. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Suicide, Murder, and Gaslighting

Minor: Drug abuse

As a mentally-ill person, this book was incredibly triggering and harmful.