Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Case Histories by Kate Atkinson

3 reviews

angorarabbit's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad medium-paced

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

2.5

TW:  Postpartum depression is particularly graphic and disturbing, chapter 3 was particularly hard to read. I skimmed the latter portion of chapter 25 which depicted stalking. The racial slur was very out of the blue and had nothing to do with the plot. There is limited diversity, a minor character was described as black but there was nothing else about him.

 

TLDR:  Great characterisation for the most part. This is not a detective novel but a multifamily drama. 

 

Bloopholes: If you mean to kill someone, after knocking them unconsciousness wouldn’t you finish the job unless you were disturbed.? 

 

Context: I loved Life After Life, I wanted to throw A God in Ruins at the wall.I had previously attempted this novel but stalled out at chapter 3. 

 

Ms. Atkinson writes the internal dialogue of young girls like no other author I’ve read. She falls a little when it comes to adults, particularly males. I thought the characterisation of the male protagonist was excellent but the other males where all a bit weak or absent. One man seemed to be characterised partly by his weight. Two female children are interesting as children but as adults are tiresome and a bit unbelievable. 

 

That being said I do have some problems with the plot besides the bloophole already mentioned. 

 

Rule 1 of Knox’s Decalogue is broken. Other mysteries are fairly easy it work out ahead of the reveal. There is also a ghost of Dickens with a surprise legacy that bails out a character. 

 

The next one really bugged me and I’m apologise that I cant express myself better. The representation of a possible Ace character. Their disgust/facimation of sex is based on childhood trauma and not on their possible orientation. Once they have an organism then they suddenly become Bi? Really? I’m not sure it works like that. 

 

Lastly for all the males and children in this book we do not have the viewpoint of any male children. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Cancer, Drug use, Grief, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Racial slurs

The racial slur was superfluous. The Acephobia is based on my reading of the possible orientation of one of the characters. Chapter three is a graphic depiction of untreated postpartum depression. Multiple characters suffer mild to severe childhood trauma.

uranaishi's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Kidnapping, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Biphobia, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Drug use, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Infertility, Blood, Abortion, and War

_lia_reads_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Infidelity, and Death of parent