Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

19 reviews

ncaldeir's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Alcohol, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and War

bethancy's review

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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? No

5.0

I was a bit intimidated by this book at first, but once I got into the story I couldn't put it down. This books is so beautiful and is packed with powerful images, revelations, and emotion. I really loved it, and the story will remain with me for a long time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, Xenophobia, and Abortion

Moderate: Alcohol, Child death, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Death of parent, and Alcoholism

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Rape

mraddd's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Child death, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Racism, War, Murder, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Xenophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Violence, and Mental illness

Moderate: Gun violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Suicide, Hate crime, Homophobia, and Islamophobia

Minor: Bullying, Sexual content, and Animal death

fairuce's review

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad medium-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

5.0

Really loved this book. The different pov from the fig tree and even from a bee once were beautifully written. I will definitely read more of Elif Shafak. Also really appreciated the plants trivia. I found myself googling all the different plants mentioned.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Homophobia, Addiction, Alcohol, Miscarriage, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Hate crime

robintchappell's review

slow-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Homophobia, Death of parent, Death, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Mental illness, Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

Minor: Pregnancy and Child death

shhh_tamis_reading's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

I’m so thankful this book was recommended. It’s one of the most beautiful books I’ve read. 

I adored all of the characters, especially the Fig Tree. In fact the chalets narrated by the Fig Tree may be my favorites. The entire book comes together with sacred beauty. 

I also now want to learn more about Cyprus which I was ignorant of before. I appreciate the author’s book list at the back of the book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Murder, Violence, War, Abortion, Alcohol, Addiction, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Suicide, and Xenophobia

watermelleon's review

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? No

5.0

I need to have another cry and talk about this at book club before writing a review here.... I read a huge chunk of this today and it has been nothing but crying my eyes out with little water breaks. my library copy now has mascara smudges on it, nothing I can do about that I guess :s

in short - best book I have read in a long time. it is beautifully written, surprisingly close to home and relatable, generally so informative on topics I new nothing about (that I probably should have!). it has changed my outlook on many perspectives in my life. this is a lifechanging book that I will be recommending to everyone. there are some tough, tough topics but so much hope and nostalgia as well.

on a personal note: This book has allowed me to reflect on my own recently-uprooted family history, and has helped me reflect on that as well the now clear impact of this on my family moving down through the generations.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, War, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Child death, Colonisation, Abortion, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Addiction, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Murder, Death of parent, Bullying, Animal death, Cultural appropriation, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Terminal illness

War Imagery throughout and discussion of death of multiple characters in detail (not graphic in terms of gore, but explains how they died). Colonisation: discussion throughout of colonisation in relation to cyprus and the effects of this, more focussed on the cultural impact than graphic/gore detail. Pregnancy and Children:

Spoiler

a child dies at a young age of malaria, child is assumed for a while to be an abortion.

Terminal Illness:

Spoiler

Main Character's grand parents died as a result of cancer- they were poisoned by asbestos from some overalls used for working in the mines

Sucide / alcohol / drug use:

Spoiler

the main character's mother is revealed to have killed herself, was an alcoholic and took pills to end her life

Mental Illness: many themes of mental illness throughout, especially a big theme of inheriting generational trauma (war related) and how this impacts younger generations the most. Bullying

Spoiler

short scene of bullying in a british school at the beginning of the book

Panic Attacks

Spoiler

short scene of bullying in a british school at the beginning of the book. The main character has a panic attack and screams during her class, an incident which is later discussed.

Homophobia

Spoiler

an interracial gay couple (two men) are kidnapped and killed within context of a war, it is suggested that their sexuality is a part of the attack as well as their conflicting cutural backgrounds

Kidnapping

Spoiler

an interracial gay couple are kidnapped and killed within context of a war, suggested that their sexuality is a part of the attack as well as their conflicting cutural backgrounds

careohleen's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

4.0

Devastating and beautiful. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Death of parent, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Drug use, Gun violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death of parent, Death, Abortion, and Alcoholism

Minor: Islamophobia, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Medical content, Racism, Religious bigotry, War, Abandonment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Racial slurs, Violence, Blood, Cultural appropriation, and Cursing

achingallover's review

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Islamophobia, Mental illness, Murder, Pregnancy, Racism, Religious bigotry, Violence, War, Animal death, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Bullying

crimsonlilies's review

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Violence, War, Suicide, Murder, Grief, Alcohol, and Alcoholism