Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

La Fileuse d'argent by Naomi Novik

59 reviews

tamara_joy's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Genocide

Moderate: Misogyny, Antisemitism, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Blood, Classism, Alcoholism, Child death, Animal death, and Confinement

matcha_pages's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious tense slow-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

4.0

Great story, I enjoyed seeing the characters evolve and women outsmart their situations. Wanda was my favorite heroine.

My biggest critique is while the women were single they were protrayed as intelligent and determined to survive, yet at the end Irina and Miryem stayed married with their captors. I know this is a fairy tale re-telling and the men changed for the better, but the romance felt so shallow. 

I had a good time listening to the audio book, but it was challenging recognizing when POVs changed. The narrator sublty changes her voice between the female characters so it's really easy to miss if you aren't fully paying attention. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Antisemitism

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Rape and Death

nofrigatelikeabook's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism and Child abuse

starlit_pathways's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Violence, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Death

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Grief

Minor: Sexual violence and Rape

redpanda_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Child abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism and Murder

tibbarasden's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

4.5

I debated about giving this a five-star, but in the end, even though I thoroughly enjoyed the story/characters I couldn't quite give it that. The atmosphere of this book was spot on. I liked the little connections of the three main characters throughout the storyline. I loved the fire and ice/winter and summer theme throughout. The only thing I didn't like was the number of POVs (6) and the way the author transitioned through the POVs. It wasn't always clear initially whose POV it was, which would take me out of the story a little. Also, I didn't feel the tree's backstory was explained, which left me a little dissatisfied with its whole role. But everything else about the story was wonderful, and I loved how it played out in the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, and Animal death

ink_and_wings's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring mysterious slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Body horror, and Death of parent

Moderate: Confinement, Antisemitism, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Murder, Violence, and War

Minor: Animal cruelty

elizabeth_lepore's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Antisemitism, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse

Moderate: Death of parent and Alcoholism

Minor: War and Rape

brassmonkey's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-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

3.0

The second half is just really fucking boring. Sorry. Cool concept.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Death of parent

Moderate: Antisemitism, Rape, Sexual harassment, and Blood

Minor: Stalking, Miscarriage, War, and Animal cruelty

chattie_the_mad_chatter's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The plot, atmosphere and retelling of the fairy tale Rumplestiltskin was really well crafted. All the different parts of the story pulled together for the final. 
I enjoyed how it drew from Mythology as well as different aspects of the fairy tale and the use of thrice repeated. The Winter atmosphere of both the mortal and Stark Kingdoms along with the harsh world's of both created a fantastic winter setting.
Themes of a pragmatic business sense and greed were mixed with compassion and weakness along with women at the bottom of life's ladder finding inner strength to take their place in the harsh unrelenting world.
It was nice to see Jewish representation with a fantasy and the family values were the spot of warmth that was well needed. 
Despite this, I did not warm to the characters and I can’t pinpoint why. I liked them and followed their adventures, but i did not make friends with them and grow attached like I usually do with at least one characte. I'm not sure if this was a narrative voice choice where secondary characters gave first person perspective and I would have preferred 3rd person? That could be a factor. I am glad I read this, but it's not going to be a favourite re-read, which I think is down to my personal preference. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Bullying, Misogyny, and Physical abuse

Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Violence, and Child abuse