Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

I Was Born For This by Alice Oseman

8 reviews

bumblemee's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring reflective tense 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? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Transphobia and Blood

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Outing

chaoticbyrddemon's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective 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

4.75

It's overall a really good book. 
I enjoyed both of the character perspectives, both from Angel and Jimmy. 
Angel's character was a bit nice. At first, it reminded me of the book "Kill the Boy Band" which has a similar concept, but it was executed rather poorly and to an extreme level. Angel's character was really well written, and I enjoyed the research that Alice Oseman put into making sure that her character was accurate.

Spoiler

Angel having a safe space and really only bonding in fandom culture definitely hit close to home and I really enjoyed seeing her grow throughout the story.

Jimmy's character was definitely a lot, and I really enjoyed it. Seeing how he and the rest of the band had to deal with everything and such was really interesting. Each of the members has their own ways of coping with things, and I think learning and reading about that were really nice. 
My favorite character was Lister, who seems to fall into a trope that I enjoy.

Spoiler

Star who is oversexualized and relying on addiction.

Definitely not a super common one. But the way he was written was really interesting.

Spoiler

Upon first glance when you first meet him, he seems like a completely different character. However as the story goes on, not only his problems but the problems of the band are revealed and we learn more about them and how they deal with things.

It's definitely a book I'd read again, having lots of surprising twists and such, some of which make me super happy and others worried. It's a book that I think I'd want to annotate in the future and I'd highly recommend it. 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
CW: mentions of religion, drug use, blackmail, stalking, antisemitic stereotypes (in mention), blood, violence, addiction, eating disorders (mentioned), suicidal thoughts, family struggles, break ups, near death, hospitals, biphobia (mentioned), transphobia (mentioned), 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Addiction, Alcohol, Biphobia, Drug abuse, Drug use, Classism, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Medical content

Minor: Dysphoria, Transphobia, and Biphobia

teaskate's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

3.5

I found this book really interesting ,and somewhere also a bit eyes opening.Because I think many people struggle with this topic of having this idea of someone ,and being so stuck in this idea and forgetting that this idea is a real person.

Spoiler

Even though I do think there are some topics that could have been a more resolved in the end.As an example Listers drug abuse or just in general the near future.

The whole book has some good topics ,and is good to reflect on fan culture.Thank you :)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, and Stalking

Moderate: Transphobia and Injury/Injury detail

hannahrogers's review against another edition

emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Addiction, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Mental illness

Moderate: Medical content, Outing, Eating disorder, and Abandonment

Minor: Death, Drug abuse, Outing, Transphobia, Death of parent, Excrement, Grief, Bullying, and Drug use

rain08's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring sad slow-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

5.0

the ending felt a bit unresolved but otherwise great 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, Medical content, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Blood and Outing

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Rape

melissatttttt's review against another edition

emotional inspiring

• 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, Outing, Mental illness, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Transphobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Biphobia

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

miaaaahh's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense 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? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Transphobia and Homophobia

Minor: Toxic relationship

schwambibambi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I LOVE THIS!!!! I read this in two days and would've in one, if i didn't have to go to work the next day and needed sleep for that. This book is no nice to read, it flows very easily adn without noticing, you're already half way through. The characters are actually realistic and don't feel like 'a grown adult tried to write funny teeangers'-cringey. 

Spoiler

The depction of fandom culture was so accurate. I wouldn't be surprised if Alice Oseman actually took a look at Kpop fandoms, since The Ark's fandom felt very much like that. I saw myself and all of my friends that like Kpop in this book. I love the way Fereshteh's love for The Ark is described, or rather not explained. I found myself in that, I felt what she said about it being a different kind of love so deeply in my soul. Though I loved how Juliet challenged that! 
I also loved that in the end, there were no couples/new romance. I think it adds to the story, because more often than not, (esp. female characters) are reduced to the role of love interest and I don't like that very much.
       Another point: I don't myself have anxiety, but from what I know from friends and ye old internet, I think the depiction of it was realistic. I recommended this book to my friend that suffers from social anxiety and this might help her to not feel so alone in that :)
My favourite scene was definitly when Jimmy just decides to leave, like it started as a joke between him and Lister, but then he just does it and I can't. Perfect. I laughed so hard when he did it.
I also loved the way Angel's and Juliet's friendship played out. I think it was important for her to realise how much she hurt Juliet and that friendship can be more. Like, that feeling that nobody understands you is so real and more common than I would've thought and this book made me realise once again, that there are people that can understand me, but I have to talk to them for that. I can have friends with deep connections, who simultaneously don't have to be my soulmate/romantic partner and that aspect is also super important and the book included that so well! It was such a happy and fullfilling ending.

Definitly in my top 5 favourite books of all time. I felt so understood and welcomed. Thank you for writing this.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, and Adult/minor relationship