Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

282 reviews

katie0528's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

I was not expecting to like this as much as I did. I grew up with the Hunger Games and really thought Mockongjay was messy and not clearly thought out. I avoided this, thinking Collins had lost her touch. She certainly has not. This book follows Snow before his presidency, as a young high school senior as he participates in the Hunger Games as a mentor and discovers his personal limits and what lines he is willing to cross for his own personal power.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Blood, Gaslighting, War, and Classism

nebulamarcus's review against another edition

emotional tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Drug abuse

readwithsophsx's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

amanda_19's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Medical content, Murder, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

lochnessbookster's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Dementia, Grief, Cannibalism, and Gaslighting

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Fire/Fire injury

avasbookmark's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Gun violence, Violence, Murder, War, and Classism

Moderate: Drug abuse and Death of parent

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Police brutality

thesecretsapphic's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

thebaconbaron's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense slow-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, and Murder

maryconney's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Medical content, and War

Minor: Addiction, Bullying, Drug abuse, and Alcohol

jdgammons's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.25

I enjoyed this book as a character study of Snow but in my reading I was well aware it was written for a younger audience of middle age to high-school age reading level. I found it too perfect how Lucy Grey's music fit perfectly with the music of the next book, like every song she wrote then became a folk song within district 12 and then influenced Katniss. 

I was pretty much annoyed with Sejanus and Snow the entire book and found only Lucy Grey as the only semi enjoyable character but was consistently frustrated with her doe eyed complacency and ignorance. In comparison to Katniss who is one of the strongest women characters in teen fiction I found Lucy Grey lack luster in comparison. 

Snow was the only person who had any sort of character development in the book and non of it good. I found the epilogue where suddenly Snow has no care for consequences very out of character suddenly when he spent the rest of the book careful of any repercussions that may come to him as well as the Plinth family adopting him as well as an easy way to wrap up loose ends with the Snow families low income and the Plinth's loss. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Classism