Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The Club by Ellery Lloyd

36 reviews

bibliotherapybliss's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I find myself on a lifelong quest for a thriller that can grip my interest the way Agatha Christie's "And Then There Were None" did when I first delved into it. Naturally, my hopes were set high when I picked up "The Club," but, unfortunately, it fell short of the mark.

At first glance, the concept behind the story was promising. The backdrop of Island Home, an ultra-luxurious resort exclusively frequented by the rich and famous, piqued my interest. As a fan of reality television and someone with a certain fascination for exclusive clubs like SoHo House, I was drawn to the idea of a resort so revered that people would resort to shady measures just to gain admission.

However, as the plot unfolded, it became evident that "The Club" wouldn't provide the deep dive into the world of the rich and famous that I had anticipated. The constant switching of points of view made it nearly impossible to keep up with each character's storyline, and the lack of endearing qualities in the characters left me unfazed by their fates. I found it hard to care whether they lived or died, and their slow attrition didn't stir much emotion.

In truth, I really wanted to love this book. While I did enjoy it enough to see it through to the end, I struggled through some of the convoluted details and ultimately felt that it couldn't fully satisfy my craving for a Christie-esque masterpiece.

As for the story itself, while brimming with characters, the true central character is Island Home. As the newest and most exclusive addition to the Home Group portfolio, it stands as the epitome of luxury and exclusivity. Home Group, a fictional counterpart to SoHo House, offers membership to only the wealthiest and most famous individuals, allowing them to escape the prying eyes of the public and indulge in whatever their hearts desire.

The narrative centers around the kickoff weekend of Island Home, where secrets and lies run rampant even before the rich and famous arrive. Throughout the book, the chapters oscillate between different characters on the island, each exploring the setting and encountering their own obstacles along the way.

While "The Club" offered a promising premise, it ultimately couldn't deliver the immersive thriller experience I had hoped for. It's a decent read but doesn't quite reach the heights of classic mysteries like those by Agatha Christie. My quest for the next gripping masterpiece continues.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Car accident, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Death, Murder, and Pregnancy

klr0's review against another edition

mysterious

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Dementia, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Car accident, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Murder, Sexism, Drug use, and Grief

gommette's review

dark mysterious tense fast-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

4.75

Super bien, des rebondissements jusqu'à la fin et une intrigue bien ficelée. Très ancré dans son temps et intéressant que ça se passe dans un univers ultrariche. Un peu de trop de cliffhangers à mon goût et on sent que c'est fait pour être adapté au cinéma.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Car accident, Murder, Drug abuse, and Drug use

dev921's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Abortion, Body shaming, Grief, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Murder, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Pregnancy, and Sexism

thrillakilla's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault

Minor: Drug use

savheath's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Classism, Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, Death, Murder, Toxic relationship, Grief, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Car accident, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Infidelity

jstroud's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

3.75

A slow start but the pace picks up as more is revealed about the characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, and Sexual content

chhwang's review

slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Alcoholism, and Murder

Moderate: Car accident and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Drug use

cady_sass's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.25

A perfectly fine way to spend an evening but the book, in its entirely, is utterly forgettable. There are some interesting storylines in there, but I literally just put the book down and I’d have trouble explaining any of them. Or match the character names to their subplot. SO many characters. SO many rich white people. Meh. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Car accident, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Death, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Blood, Dementia, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual assault, Classism, Drug use, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, and Sexual content

mrsjoellebell's review

dark mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, and Infidelity

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, and Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Car accident