Reviews tagging 'Infidelity'

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann

13 reviews

cgm42's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Mental illness, Homophobia, Addiction, and Infidelity

Moderate: Ableism, Lesbophobia, Suicide, Eating disorder, and Body shaming

alpal_collective's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Body shaming, Suicide, Addiction, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Homophobia and Alcoholism

noshinbean's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Alcohol, Fatphobia, Lesbophobia, and Mental illness

Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Body shaming, Cancer, Grief, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Death, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

bxcvi's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Drug use, Homophobia, Addiction, Mental illness, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Infidelity, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Abortion, Biphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Fatphobia, Medical content, and Cancer

_camelia's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-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? Yes

3.75

Set post war era, 20 yrs span. Slow beginning. At times the writing can be silly and stiff. Pace was just okay.

Spoiler

Anne's romance with Lyon is cringey but serves its purpose to teach a lesson.

I wouldn't say that it is full of risque drama.

Spoiler

It's rather a sad tale about what happens to people that power trip, that force others into the narrative they want, that value body image over everything, etc. Story about growing pains and betrayal.

It's not a crazy party scene. It's a good classic and certainly feels advanced for its time. Despite what we tend to believe, getting what you wanted does not always bring happiness. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Cancer, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, and Toxic relationship

morenowagain's review against another edition

dark emotional funny fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexism, Mental illness, Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, Fatphobia, Drug use, and Death of parent

Moderate: Classism, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Abortion, Fatphobia, Sexism, Suicide, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Biphobia, Body shaming, Medical trauma, and Toxic relationship

This novel uses the word f*g/f*ggot over 25 times.

laurenw's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Body shaming, Alcohol, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Drug abuse, and Medical content

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Homophobia

Minor: Cancer

smelmo's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Addiction, Body shaming, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Alcoholism, Cancer, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, and Grief

mel_sh's review against another edition

4.75

 4.65*

“When you’re climbing Mount Everest, nothing is easy. You just take one step at a time, never look back and always keep your eyes glued to the top.”

WHAT A TRIP
as some of you may have noticed, i have been reading this book for a little over two months now. this was never because i wasn’t absolutely enamoured with the book. i don’t really know how to describe why this book is so good but it just isss
if you read books about characters you love and beautiful and lyrical writing then this just isn’t for you. the characters are enjoyable and you will love a good few of them and there are some lovely lines but its not what makes this book. what makes it is these absolutely psychotic characters that live these lives that you never will but whose problems feel somehow so real and close to your own. beneath it all, this is a story about women and everything that comes with being a woman in hollywood.
i think it’s incredibly important to mention that this book is clearly a sign of the times. the casual and blatant homophobia, fatphobia, and ableism is present all throughout the book and is quite hard to read at times 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Addiction, Mental illness, Sexual content, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Infertility, Miscarriage, Homophobia, Grief, Ableism, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Lesbophobia

joannemiro1948's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Self harm