Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The Last Word by Taylor Adams

61 reviews

hxlleann's review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Stalking, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

stilladyj's review against another edition

dark 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Death, Eating disorder, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

jesikakaley's review against another edition

hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Infertility, Vomit, Stalking, Car accident, and Alcohol

Minor: Self harm

lifeofchrstnlvly's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I recently finished reading a rather unique book that really challenged my expectations. The story was both predictable and unpredictable at the same time, which was quite fascinating. On one hand, the book was a little annoying because it seemed to drag on, but on the other hand, as the plot unfolded, I found myself growing sympathetic towards the characters. The outlandish nature of the story was both a positive and a negative for me, as it added an intriguing element to the narrative but also made it a bit hard to relate to at times.

Despite these contradictions, I have to admit that I ultimately found the book to be quite good. The author's ability to draw me in and make me genuinely think and feel showed skillful storytelling. Instead of being frustratingly clueless which is a cliche in most mystery/thriller books, the main character, Emma, was portrayed as a thoughtful and intelligent protagonist, even when her actions seemed questionable at times.

There were even moments that I couldn't help but find a bit humorous, particularly when the different points of view clashed in a somewhat comical way. For instance, there was a part where

Emma claimed the killer had screamed, only for the next paragraph to reveal the killer’s perspective, denying the scream. This unexpected humor provided a welcome break from the intense and adrenaline-filled plot.

Overall, I think I would recommend this book. Its outlandish nature is what gives it its charm, and while you might have a sense of who the killer is, the real mystery lies in how events will unfold.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Cursing, Death, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

kryan01's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

3.75

holy smokes! this book was so good and so creepy. absolutely recommend!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Blood, and Murder

mj_86's review against another edition

dark 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

3.25

Unfortunately I guessed 90% of the twists before they were revealed. Just okay for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Car accident, and Murder

Moderate: Child death, Infertility, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, and Mass/school shootings

pirate's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Infertility, and Vomit

Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

_fallinglight_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.25

This book made me realize I'm not a dog person (sometimes) bc by the fourth near-miss with Laika I was so over it, I was rooting for her d3ath, ok. A dizzying, maybe overstayed story. It was a propulsive read but I didn't care much for Emma bc she felt too surface level and I was kinda annoyed by her. And there were a lot of cringe moments here: the author intruder being a neckbeard, alt-right, Andrew Tate listening, 4chan incel caricature; Taylor Adams describing Jules hair as "Karen haircut" (?), and the damn dog stuff that kept diminishing my enjoyment but it wasn't a terrible experience and it was sorta fun.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexism, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, and Stalking

Minor: Death of parent

crabcake28's review

dark emotional funny sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I read this expecting a lot after reading No Exit and I wasn’t disappointed. While it didn’t exactly have the mood I was hoping it would have, I still enjoyed it immensely. The book had me in shock, heart broken, cringing, and even laughing out loud at parts. I absolutely loved the back and forth between narrators and the realization that one of which was not in anyway reliable. Definitely the kind of book I’ll reread with a whole new perspective. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Blood, Vomit, and Grief

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Car accident

Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, Infertility, Mass/school shootings, and Stalking

death of an infant child

attempted murder of a pet

kyannabrown's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Child death

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail