Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Drinking Games by Sarah Levy

13 reviews

dearkatie's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

4.5

A series of raw essays that were honest and sometimes tough to read, but also hopeful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Vomit, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship

jennabeck13's review

inspiring slow-paced

2.0

Drinking Games by Sarah Levy

⭐️⭐️ (2/5)

Genre: Memoir

About 260 pages

At one point in time, drinking was Sarah’s entire life. However, when she decided to become sober that’s when Sarah’s life really began. Drinking Games tells the story of Sarah’s troubled past with alcohol, her journey to sobriety, and her life as a sober woman. 

I was super intrigued when I heard about this book as it was promoted more as a book on society’s relationship with alcohol. I was under the impression it would focus on how drinking culture has become what it is today, why people choose to be sober or drink in excess, how alcohol affects us, etc. However, it didn’t really touch upon society’s relationship with alcohol at all but only Sarah’s relationship with it. Granted it is a memoir but I expected a little bit wider of a discussion of the topic. In addition, there were a lot of repeated stories throughout the book and she told them out of chronological order which made it hard to keep up with at times. Though I find Levy’s journey to sobriety commendable this book missed the mark for me😕

Favorite Quote: “I heard people in my recovery meetings say that hitting bottom doesn’t have to be catastrophic; it can simply mean that we are ready to stop digging.”

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Alcohol

lbh_0327's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Dementia, Grief, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic

readalongwithnat's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

jordansmoot's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Vomit

thepaperbackbruncher's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

4.5

In a culture driven by alcohol, where every social gathering seems to be surrounded and connected to it, Sarah Levy challenges you to rethink the way you view alcohol.

In this memoir, she explains how alcohol infiltrated her life, and took over. Even if you yourself aren't an alcoholic or don't have issues with over consumption, you will find valuable lessons and insight within her story. I found it fascinating to get inside the reason of why people drink, drink to excess, and how we can reevaluate our relationships, social scenarios, and lives, to how they relate to drinking alcohol.

For someone who doesn't read a lot of memoirs, or knew nothing of Sarah prior to this book, I still felt connected to her and this story. It was well written, and a page-turning experience.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body shaming and Panic attacks/disorders

goldenjunegem's review

hopeful informative reflective fast-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol

cathgrin's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

3.75

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this ARC.

This memoir is more a collection of essays exploring Levy's path before, to and through her sobriety. Her openness and vulnerability are interspersed with self-depricating humour and biting wit. While I felt some chapters were definitely stronger than others, it presents a clear voice and one which many millenials will relate to, whether they are on their own sobriety journey or not. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cancer, Eating disorder, and Vomit

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, and Toxic friendship

spaghettireads's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

Moderate: Vomit and Injury/Injury detail

onmalsshelf's review

emotional inspiring medium-paced

5.0

Thank you to the St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for a galley and physical ARC of this new 2023 memoir. 

Wow. To my fellow millennials - I hope you consider picking this up. 

What a vulnerable and heartfelt memoir, and one that absolutely hits hard. I feel like a big part of 'millennial culture', or at least for those of us that experienced college, drinking became a huge social event that carried into our everyday lives post college. What used to be left for frat basements or bars on the main drag in our college town has now turned into drinking after work and drinking at every 'social event'. 

I think this is a must-read for anyone, not just millennials, that are toying with the idea of going sober or are interested in learning more. This may read too young for other reads, but as a fellow millennial - this is a memoir that everyone should attempt to pick up. 

I do feel like this was a collection of essays instead of a memoir, but either way - amazing. The courage that this took is astounding and I'm glad that memoirs/essay collections like this are getting published. The realm of toying with the idea of starting a sober journey needs more than self help books. This is it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol