Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei

32 reviews

kaitlinwarwick's review

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emotional 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? Yes

3.75

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stardustandrockets's review against another edition

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5.0

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atsuanna's review against another edition

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emotional funny inspiring 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? Yes

2.75

I had this on my TBR for so long and I hyped it up so much in my head after I read a similar book that’s one of my favorite romances so I think that’s the reason it didn’t meet the high ass expectations I had! It was very sweet, well written, emotional and funny but it felt so repetitive at some points and it’s not something I’d be itching to re-read. The tropes and characters are not my cup of tea and some of them are things I actively avoid. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for it rn? but for now it’s a book I don’t think of often. 
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waywardcrow's review

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dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.75

This was hard to read only because I didn't expect it to be so character-driven despite the fact that reviews on Storygraph said exactly that. And by hard to read I mean emotionally draining. In the best way. Mickey's perspective is so raw, real, and relatable even when he's being a complete ass. The portrayal of mental health in this book was for me, so true and honest. Like if you struggle with depression and anxiety fueled by being a perfectionist and overachiever…prepare to be triggered. Also, have to mention the romance of course. Mickey and Jaysen are so cute together. I definitely wish we'd gotten more of them and I need a sequel or at least 200 more pages of this book. 
But I felt the author staying true to what their intention was with the writing and I have to respect that.
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rickireadss's review against another edition

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4.0

wow. the depression rep in this hit a little to close to home. i related to mickey a lot, and it hurt but also was so nice at the same time. i enjoyed the rivals WHILE lovers aspect. the banter between mickey and jayden was just *chef’s kiss*

this book could have easily been a 5 star read for if it hadn’t been for two things: 1) this being marketed as YA seems a little misleading. yes mickey is 17 but it’s his freshman year in college and a lot of the topics were more in the NA age range. 2) the ending was SO abrupt and then we didn’t even get to find out one of the key parts of the plot..??

⚠️: mental illness (clinical depression), panic attacks/disorders, alcohol, alcoholism, drug use, suicidal thoughts, self harm, abandonment, homophobia
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leahkarge's review against another edition

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emotional reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.0

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aeterna's review

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lighthearted fast-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? It's complicated

3.0

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fanboyriot's review

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hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

I absolutely devoured this book.  It was nice being able to get lost in the pages and fall in love with the characters and their world.  Rivals to lovers is always the best but adding it to a queer sports book it is downright perfect.  It was seriously amazing.  The friendships were so wholesome.  The friendship between Dorian and Barbie was so comforting to read.  The way Mickey was an absolute simp and idiot when it came to Cauler.  It was both funny and aggravating at times when he would think one thing and say the other.  Delilah and Jade were so wholesome and cute and I loved them both separately and as a couple.  Not to mention any of Mickey's sisters, they were all so kind and I loved them all dearly.

The mental health rep was SO good.  Some parts were really relatable and it was really comforting in a way to read about it.  I really liked the paragraph in the epilogue: "Honestly, don't be ashamed.  A lot more people deal with it than you think, and the best way to cope is to acknowledge it and ask for help.  Don't suffer alone." (page 307)  it was so nice to see how far Mickey had come with his mental health.  Such a good read that now I have no idea what I'm going to do.  I need more.  10/10 will read again.


Queer Hockey
Mild Hurt/Comfort
Wholesome Friendships
Amazing Mental Health Rep
Mickey's Sisters (so damn wholesome)
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bguyre's review against another edition

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challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

3.0

This book was good, but it felt unfinished. While the time jumps work well to keep the story’s momentum, it comes at the cost of skipping over some of the important development of Mickey and Jason’s relationship. There was a lot of really good stuff in here, but by the end of the book a lot of it felt like it had been left underdeveloped. (Also side note: I would have appreciated more scenes from actual games; it’s a book about hockey players, but actual games get very little page time). Now I can’t leave a review for this without talking about that ending… (spoilers ahead obviously) 

SpoilerThe fact that we never get told who the top draft spot goes to really feels like a cop-out. It would have been a beautiful ending no matter which of them had been chosen, but denying that audience that closure that the whole book had been building up to was a real let-down that left a bad taste in my mouth.


All that said this was a very pleasant read it had some cute moments, it had some deeply emotional moments, and was generally a fun time. 
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samchase112's review against another edition

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hopeful lighthearted 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

4.0

Queer hockey fun! I loved the cast of characters — from Mickey's sisters to his kind teammates — and the message of hope, strength, and love in this wonderful little NA romance. My only issues were how quickly and neatly things were wrapped up, and how unexplored Jaysen's character felt. I really think an additional 50-100 pages would go a long way in developing Mickey's eventual decisions, as well as exploring Jaysen as a real human — not just a hot hockey bro. Regardless, I loved the meaning behind this one, and it really does strike a beautiful balance between coming-of-age with mental illness, and pure, adorable romance! A+!
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