Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane

20 reviews

bubblesofbayla's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

I really like Mhairi McFarlane's writing. It's very chatty, is how I'd describe it. So much detail, but not in an overly descriptive way, more in that you really get to know each character's way of looking at the world.  My main qualm is that it sometimes feels like too much to fit in just one book. Like, we get to the happy ending and then the book's over. I want to get to spend more time with the relationships she spends so many words nurturing. This one, even more than the other I've read from McFarlane, is not a straight ahead romance novel at all. Big content warning for death and grieving!! But what's so wonderful about it is that she shows us love in the context of life, and that makes the relationships (and friendships! such good side characters!) that much more rewarding. So, bascially if we could get some fluffy novellas for the "afters" that'd be great, but really I'm happy with what she's giving us: some beautiful, complex humans, and how they find the love they deserve. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Drug use and Panic attacks/disorders

eligru's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Dementia, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Grief, and Alcohol

nora_bom's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Dementia, Grief, and Car accident

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Death of parent

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Drug use, and Panic attacks/disorders

beccaruthe's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, and Gaslighting

Minor: Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Terminal illness, and Death of parent

lpfoley's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective 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? No

5.0

I don’t know what exactly I expected to be honest. It’s charming in all the right ways, comfortably predictable, and when I’m having a hard time I could see myself just rereading and rereading and rereading. The humor is perfect, the relationships and characters are just complex enough to subvert a few expectations and the descriptions of grief and self realization are spot on. Such a delightful read. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, and Dementia

Minor: Drug use, Violence, and Abandonment

georgiesutton's review

dark funny sad 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? It's complicated

3.0

I didn’t know what the major plot point of the book was and it kind of made me want to not finish the book but the second half was good but I just wish we got to that point sooner. I think the book was well done with discussions of grief but I just didn’t pick up this book wanting that. I also found the romance element less believable or fully formed as other McFarlane characters and relationships so overall I just wanted more/something else. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Grief, and Car accident

Minor: Drug use and Alcohol

andlynmay's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

It’s hard to talk about Just Last Night without spoilers. This book quickly takes a turn from what appears to be light hearted to a serious and emotional look at who the people around you really are and what they actually mean to you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Car accident

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, and Dementia

Minor: Drug use

aqtbenz's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Medical content, and Death of parent

Minor: Bullying, Drug use, and Vomit

alayamorning's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Moderate: Child abuse and Dementia

Minor: Drug use and Sexual content

now_booking's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Fantastic, fabulous, sad, funny, healing, another home run by this author. This is only my second book by this author but I’m going to have to go and read her entire backlist now. From the moment, I started reading, I couldn’t put it down, and when I did, I was thinking about it. This author has the amazing knack for writing the most hilarious laugh out loud sentences on one page and then shattering your heart completely on the next. Just when I felt completely broken with the characters’ grief and pain, the author would come back with another perfectly weighted bit of humour to get me laughing again.

The premise is that Eve has a seemingly perfect best friend group of thirty-somethings she’s known since secondary school. But when tragedy strikes, it reveals that there are lots of secrets and resentments bubbling other and it’s possible love and friendship aren’t enough to keep the group together.

It’s hard to describe this novel when you’re trying to be as spoiler-free as possible. I have so many quotes saved from this novel- quotes I highlighted because they were astute, ones I saved because they were hilariously and brilliantly witty and funny, quotes I saved because they were healing and perfect in the way they described something that is difficult to talk about in grief or betrayal or pain or even love. The themes of friendship, loss, grief and family are dealt with really well in this book. I loved how the author built a mystery around truth and perception with the victimization of one of the characters. I also like that this was a story of healing, of forgiveness and reconciliation sometimes, but also of just moving forward. This book was absolutely gorgeous and took me on a rollercoaster for emotions. It’s not quite romance, nor is it entirely a rom-com, or chick lit- perhaps it can be likened most to women’s fiction. Whatever genre it is though, I highly highly highly recommend.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from William Morrow Books.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Grief, and Death of parent