Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Ogļu kalna bibliotēka by Scott Hawkins

22 reviews

eviethebookworm's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Drug abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

rodiemom's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

Neil Gaimen meets Stephen King. This book was weird and violent. The characters were all awful, because their “father” made them that way. Lots of terrible things happen over and over, but somehow it became a redemption story. Worth reading, but not for the faint of heart. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder

heckgoshdang's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

poetsofsweetpea's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

This book is violent.  Torture is a feature. I did like it though.  The beginning was slow, but when it hooked me, I was interested until the end.  You have to lean into the suspension of disbelief and let go of your knowledge of science but I've granted that to lesser stories. This is a story that toys with our idea of God.  What happens if he died? It's interesting and despite the horror, unlikable characters and unbelievable science there is something almost charming about it.  The mystery keeps you engaged and then it's hope that sustains you. This book is not for everyone but most assuredly for some.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, and Murder

avilareads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

i have never read a book that follows a main character with such corrupt morality. this novel truly delves into the psyche of someone who seeks the power of a god, and what that does to a human being. it was dark and brutal, and deeply insane at some parts. 

i definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a novel that is told mostly from the point of a villain-adjacent character. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Violence, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Body horror, Drug abuse, Genocide, and Blood

Minor: Genocide, Gun violence, Death of parent, and War

szyca's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

philomathean's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Rape, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Car accident

istenerson's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Excellent story - However, do not need to read again due to the aggressive explicit content. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

soaphest's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

5.0

amazing book. started off super strong & only got better as it went on. all the characters were hugely compelling & the story managed to present something great and unknowing without being difficult about it. very excited about anything else the author will write. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Child death and Death of parent

chrisljm's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

2.5

This was a well written story, but it’s not something I enjoyed. The vibes were just so terrible, I wanted to throw up a few times. It was as if Scott Hawkins heard the phrase “until the room stinks” and wanted to literally infuse that into the very core of the book. 

The best part of the book, for me, was the resolution to the mystery of what happened to Father. It seemed like a great conclusion, only to find out I still had ~150 pages left. I know part of the premise is Carolyn finding her humanity again, but since that arch is set after the climax of finding out about Father, the juxtaposition in tone of these two parts seemed very strange to me and made me enjoy the last quarter a lot less. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual content, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Drug abuse, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Cancer, Slavery, and Car accident