Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer

23 reviews

natnurdock's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

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michaelion's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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

4.5

a somber comfort like when an empty feeling is so cold its actually warm and the world makes sense in the emptiness like floating with no tether but you're not worried about falling or drowning or anything really it's just lovely in a way that there is beauty in the sad nothingness of existence. very, to borrow from everything everywhere all at once, nothing matters but i choose to love anyway. and in that choice to love, i choose to love the sadness too.this book would've ruined me when i was 12.

also at one point clover describes having moths in her stomach and not butterflies and i think that's such an excellent detail. there's creative layers to that genius writing.
i had to take points off for leo dying though! i knew it was gonna happen but i didn't want it to!
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zombiezami's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

5.0

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mollywill's review against another edition

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emotional reflective 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

4.5

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blueberrydahlia's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-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

5.0

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maxthefish's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • 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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chloelj27's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad fast-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

What I liked:
• The beautiful, poetic yet emotional way death was spoken about.
• The ideology of Clover with her three notebooks and how she used them in her daily life.
• Clover’s memories with her grandad and the wisdom he always imparted.
• The growth of Clover’s character.

This book has left me speechless in the best possible way. The Collected Regrets of Clover was heartbreakingly stunning. Somehow, this book managed to break my heart and piece it together all in one go. 

Focusing on Clover and her occupation as a death doula was fascinating! The story explores many faces of grief and they way it changes a person. To learn the reason why Clover does the job she does was so bittersweet. The pain she held onto for such a long time really tugged at the heartstrings alongside learning how she never experienced true friendship and love until now. Clover deserved the world and to see her story progress, realisations come to light and changes be made was beautiful.

Every character had their own contribution to the storyline and I loved every single one of them. Each contributed to Clover’s growth and the relationships she formed with them all warmed my heart.

The way Brammer wrote and explored death and grief was breathtaking. Some of the scenes utterly destroyed me while others uplifted me. There are many quotes in this book I adored and that will stay with me for a long time! 

Although this book is fiction, it unintentionally felt a little like a self help book. I really reflected on people I have lost and the grief I still feel today. It really opened my eyes and it feels refreshing and comforting to know all the feelings that come with death and loss are normal. 

With Brammer’s writing and the emotion packed into this book, you would not think this is a debut novel! I can’t wait to pick up a physical copy, but also to see what is next for her work! Definitely an author in adding to my auto-buy list! 

Thank you NetGalley, Mikki Brammer and Viking Books for providing an arc in exchange for an honest review.
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laurenalysse's review against another edition

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challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.75

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blewballoon's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

There were a lot of things I liked about this book. I liked the reflections on death, grief, and different cultural and historical practices about those subjects. In some ways I could empathize with Clover, but sometimes I found her solitude strayed too far into rudeness and I had a harder time rooting for her. Mild spoilers:
More than half of the book is spent painting her as a lonely person who avoids people and risks, and reflecting on her memories of the past that are either bittersweet or just reminders of why she prefers not to engage with anyone. I wish more of the book had been showing her gradual emergence from her shell and embracing connections with people and the present. Instead, it felt like the book suffered from ending fatigue as it dealt with these changes briefly and sequentially in a montage-like way.
Heavy spoilers:
I was very glad she didn't end up with Sebastian, and that was refreshing. Hugo pops in suddenly being absolutely perfect, and that's fine, but I wish it hadn't been so sudden? A little too insta-lovey. I also like that the book didn't imply that getting with Hugo was the sole way to open up Clover's life, she had other things she wanted to do, and getting to know him was one of them.
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stepnic's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

4.25

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