Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The Eighth Life (for Brilka) by Nino Haratischwili

14 reviews

ssreadsintranslation's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Suicide and Toxic relationship

Minor: Ableism, Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Misogyny, Abortion, and Outing

lineofbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Abortion, Suicide attempt, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Violence

Minor: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Drug use

tabitha_isabelle's review

1.5

A history book masquerading as fiction. Studded throughout with explanatory passages detailing the nuances of the historical period, I felt that this overly ambitious work did not fulfil its promise. I enjoyed the insight it gave me into Georgian history (something I knew very little about), but could not get over the poor quality of the writing. The characterisation was especially weak - incidents seem contrived, whilst decisions lacked believability. At times the characters felt like mere caricatures. The reams of exposition did not help in this regard. 

One more thing (that hardly needs saying) a book focusing on a family in the Soviet Union in the 20th century does not need an additional something that brings people misfortune or bad luck - terrible things were happening anyway! The magical hot chocolate was redundant. 

On the whole a dissatisfying read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, and Murder

briartherose's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is a dense, complex, hugely ambitious novel about a part of the world I'd never really given much thought to before. Dark and emotional but full of magic and beauty, this is a novel like no other. It will captivate you

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, Suicide, and Torture

Moderate: Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, and Grief