Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

80 reviews

hmoring's review against another edition

emotional hopeful fast-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

4.75

Very charming and very odd book. It covers so many important topics without really being about one topic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Drug use and Self harm

fri3d_kai's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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

5.0

This book kinda hurt my soul and I almost cried on the tube, but I couldn't put it down so...

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

zoinkie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Injury/Injury detail

ojudson39's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Fatphobia, and Self harm

jenjennijennifer's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

Strange like Ozeki’s other books I’ve read, but has a theme of parent-child understanding I appreciated. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use and Death of parent

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

Difficulty in a mother son relationship.

where the son is almost taken from the mother

alyal's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I ❤️ Ruth Ozeki! If you liked this book, you should read her other book A Tale for the Time Being. That's what got me into her books. 

I've been wanting to read her other books for years and I finally had access to this one and I'm happy but I want to read her other ones too!

This book is about a boy and his mother grieving the death of their loved one (his father, her husband). They both find different outlets for their grief and find ways to continue to grow even as they grieve.

It's very profound but isn't pretentious or obnoxious, which is Ruth's specialty. She always manages to tackle really depressing subjects in a hopeful way.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Racism, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body shaming and Bullying

Minor: Self harm, Violence, Police brutality, Medical trauma, Murder, and Toxic friendship

faina_lea'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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Medical content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Blood, Grief, Medical trauma, and Alcohol

hollydollyiow's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

4.75

This was a really beautiful book, one I think I’ll recommend lots and return to a few times.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol

sraddheya's review

emotional hopeful sad fast-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

I really enjoyed this book even though it made me cry a lot. The author touches upon many sensitive themes but in a compassionate way that allows the reader to sympathise with, and even relate to characters who in real life might be judged harshly. I liked how there were moments each character did something the reader might find annoying or negative but within the context of the whole story, we are able to understand why they did so and how this negative act was actually done out of kindness. I am also amazed by the authors ability to weave together so many rich stories, perspectives, relationships and characters without the book feeling overwhelming and chaotic. The story explores primarily a young son and his now single mothers character development and recovery over the loss of the father/husband, and although I found it very emotional, it was heart warming, informative/reflective and I think will make me more understanding of others actions and relationships.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal death, Drug use, Self harm, and Alcohol

This book involves a lot of characters with varying mental illnesses and in tough situations, which for the main characters, is a reaction to a horrific death. However, I do think it's done in a way that the characters and their conditions are respected but may still be triggering for some readers.

ka_cam's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

4.25

Weaving an omnicient Book narrator with a youthful young man who hears voices of objects and unseen entities (including the Book) as him and his mom grieves the loss of his father and finds his way through early adolescence. Some of the characters felt a bit flat/different from a teen boy narrator, but otherwise a solid read. The self proclaimed ‘big question’ is “what is real?” But themes of family, friendship, mental health, anti-capitalism, suffering, zen, substance use/abuse, and family/care.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Classism