Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole

55 reviews

yourbookishbff's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

4.0

When the reality of gentrification is a horror story, it makes a compelling premise for a thriller. Cole weaves together a story that should feel impossibly evil and calculated, but every time the reader is tempted to think so, she points again to history - it happened here, and here, and here. I enjoyed the dual POV, and Cole's use of Theo's narrative helps to highlight the advantages white people - even in abject poverty - have over Black people and other people of color. Sydney's narrative, meanwhile, is the haunting reminder that the abuse of - and gaslighting of - Black women is far from fiction. My only challenge in this was the pacing in the first half - I struggled to stay invested - and some dialogue that felt flat toward the end and lessened the emotional impact. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism

tara_valeria's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Minor: Drug use, Gun violence, and Kidnapping

mdavis26's review against another edition

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

paronomaniac's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Gaslighting

Moderate: Drug use, Police brutality, and Death of parent

vaguely_pink's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal cruelty, Cancer, Chronic illness, Confinement, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Deportation

hilarylouise's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, and Xenophobia

Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, and Murder

Minor: Domestic abuse and Sexual content

Gentrification

lesseraliterary's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense 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

when alyssa cole releases her next thriller… i will be there standing in line even for the hardcover 🤧

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, and Murder

Moderate: Police brutality

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Slavery

madmantha's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective tense 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

One of the best books I’ve ever read, if not THE best. 
Thrilling, anxiety-inducing, emotional and yet hilarious at the same time. 

Can’t wait to suggest this read to others, I loaned it from the library but will definitely be purchasing my own copy. This is something that deserves to be remembered and celebrated for years to come. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Slavery, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

mysterymom40's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Racism, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Torture, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

bedbugs and a character scratching herself too much, leaving skin damage; on page sex scene

dcm7918's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Infidelity, Racism, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Death of parent

Moderate: Cursing, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, and Classism