Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Noughts & Crosses by Malorie Blackman

29 reviews

taleofabibliophile's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Abortion, Bullying, Suicide, Death, Suicide attempt, Alcoholism, Hate crime, Alcohol, Kidnapping, Racism, Confinement, and Violence

Minor: Infidelity and Sexual content

bloodmaarked's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

1.5

honey what in the hell was this? this is not the book i remember reading as a kid

✧ full review on my tumblr ✧

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Racism, Classism, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Abortion, Pregnancy, Rape, Violence, Gun violence, Mental illness, Alcohol, Bullying, Sexual assault, Suicide, Child abuse, Grief, and Police brutality

Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Blood, and Colonisation

peepder's review

dark emotional inspiring sad 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? It's complicated

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Racism, Violence, Murder, and Suicide

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, and Confinement

Minor: Abortion

keelan's review

challenging inspiring medium-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Genocide, Gun violence, and Hate crime

gracey72's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad medium-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Abortion and Domestic abuse

Minor: Bullying and Vomit

izzyvioletgrace's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

An amazing book facing many difficult topics: racism, societal standards and mental health. I loved it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Rape, Stalking, Violence, Alcoholism, Mass/school shootings, Bullying, Alcohol, Death, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Racism, Genocide, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Torture, Abortion, Blood, and Addiction

feenix's review

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring relaxing 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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Abortion, Suicide, and Bullying

Moderate: Bullying, Grief, Hate crime, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Classism, and Violence

Minor: Rape, Police brutality, Slavery, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Vomit

fallen_leaves's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Racism, Kidnapping, Violence, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Death, and Suicide

bethtrigg's review

challenging reflective sad 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Abortion, Police brutality, Death, Mental illness, and Racism

epellicci's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

2.0

I can see where the praise for this book comes from. As a way to introduce a younger audience to racism, privilege and unjust societal structures, it is straight to the point. Potentially a revelation, happening among a setting with characters who still have problems a younger audience can relate to, like homework and complicated feelings for your friends. However, I did not enjoy the book. 

Every relationship was so aggressive, often times to the point of physical violence. There wasn't a single healthy, consistently loving family or friendship. Combined with a plot which never let up on anyone, it made for unlikable characters. I didn't believe in  the main couples on again/off again romance, which lacked any tenderness. Blackman consistently gave us the narrative that they hated one another, their "love" felt based entirely on guilt and familiarity. On top of this, I felt that in an attempt to make the message apparent to the young teen audience, all the nuance had been stripped from the plot. There was no subtlety, which I found killed the atmosphere. While I can totally appreciate what it was trying to do, it fell really flat for me. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Bullying, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Racism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Murder