Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Yes, Daddy by Jonathan Parks-Ramage

37 reviews

klamsc's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence

aely's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

This book was extremely depressing. Jonah simply wanted to have a roof over his hand, and what happened to him was truly awful to read.

Parks-Ramage managed to write realistic characters who go through SO much trauma, with a bittersweet ending that left me feeling… complicated.

My only critique would be that the book felt so depressing and hopeless that at times it was very hard to return to the story.

Other than that, the book is a grim cautionary tale about abusive relationships and sexual assault. It was very emotional and well written. I hope that Jonah is able to live happily after the books ends. That is all.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Classism

Minor: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Suicide, Blood, Dementia, Trafficking, Stalking, Abortion, and Suicide attempt

ekeiser8's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

roughdraftofmylife's review against another edition

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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

feministmidwife's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This book was fast, enthralling, and very difficult to read. Check all CWs. However, it all felt real. The unlikeability of the character who made every wrong decisions again and again and again was on point. I agree with others that there was a loss in not learning more about the other harmed characters, but it that lack of information tracks with the flippancy-turned-trauma written into the main character. Will not forget this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt

forrestalexander's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

3.0

Warning: SPOILERS

I have mixed feelings about this book. I didn't know what to expect and I like the concept, but in my opinion, it didn't follow through. 

As someone else said, the book is too short to properly address the multitude of issues it presented.

The book touches on:

• a gay main character with unaccepting parents
• religious trauma
• conversion therapy and the resulting trauma
• domestic abuse, toxic and abusive relationships
• manipulation and general abuse
• rape, sexual assault, and casual sexual harassment
• drug abuse
• suicide, suicidal thoughts

& more. There aren't enough pages in the book to have us become invested in the characters and touch on all of the above topics and do them justice - instead, it half touches on all of them and is just busy and feels cluttered. It is trying to do too much at once.

Because it was trying to cram so much into each page, I wasn't invested in the characters and it made me care less about the story overall.

Also, coming from a queer man living in bushwick from somewhat similar circumstances, I hated the main character. He relied on everyone else and did nothing but pity and feel bad for himself instead of trying to do anything to change his life. He was selfish and self-centered, and how he acted in court destroyed the lives of others to the point of no return. How I am supposed to feel any level of empathy for him, or happiness when he finally sort of gets his shit together at the end, is beyond me. 

The religious trauma was a bit trite for a gay character, and I understand the second half was supposed to set it apart from other stories with similar themes - but the second half felt forced, strange, and left me weirded out. I am still not sure what the message was supposed to be, it didn't translate.

With all of that being said, I think if a few of the themes were left out and the author focused on one or two things, it could have been great. For that reason, I have no doubt the author has potential - but I hope in his next book, it feels less crammed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Body shaming and Bullying

foxmulders's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

Minor: Incest

kwarnimont's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

2.5

This was a hard read. 100% check the content warnings before giving it a go. I thought it was well written and (unfortunately) very easy to visualize what's going on. Tons of great conversation about consent and classism that unfortunately didn't have a satisfying ending. Just heartbreak after heartbreak after heartbreak. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Classism

bells_shelves's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-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

3.5

The first half of this book was absolutely incredible. I read the first two hundred pages in one sitting. However, after the trial, a lot of the plot began to grow unbelievable and unconvincing. Some things that happened were outside of one’s character traits, or just didn’t make sense, and that pulled me out of the story. I still enjoyed it, and I think a lot of the themes and overall messages discussed in the Q&A session are especially important in reading this book, especially when it comes to understanding trauma and survivorship. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

melanders_07's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

Minor: Violence and Stalking

conversion therapy