Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Tell Me an Ending by Jo Harkin

5 reviews

clairebau's review against another edition

dark 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

3.75

This was very conceptually similar to Silvera's More Happy Than Not, which I of course love. This was done just as well. Exploring the idea of a memory erasure procedure through the perspectives of many people feels obvious now. It did a lot to build out the world and the implications of something like this. I was equally invested in every perspective, which never happens.

Ending was a little disappointing. Just a little. The book felt like it was building to something larger than it did. Noor spent the duration of the story investigating a mystery with a payoff that was just... eh. Yeah, the point is that each character is morally gray and that multiple instances of so-called wrongdoing were enacted by different entities, but the reveals didn't pack the punch I wish they would have! I would also have loved more wrap-up to Finn and Mirande's story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicide, Blood, and Medical content

Moderate: Addiction, Gore, Incest, and Alcohol

exhumedprince's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective 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

3.0

Eternal Sunshine is one of my favorite movies, so of course this book seemed like it would be right up my alley. There were a lot of things I liked about it, but some of Noor's actions and attitudes, especially towards the end, aggravated me so much, I can't look past it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Medical content, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Alcohol

jacquatch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Car accident

Minor: Child death, Incest, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

I feel like this book could have been cut by 1/4 and have been much better. And I felt like there was not much that surprised me. I got bored, but I also wanted to finish just to see how the author wrapped it up.

maxrmel's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

I wish that the author had focused on a few strong characters rather than many okay ones. Finns storyline was not needed in my opinion. I understood why he was there but it was meh. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, and Alcohol

nicoleisalwaysreading's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective 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

3.5

I could see this one being a fabulous HBO miniseries 👀

I really liked the slow development and revealing of facts like a mystery novel. The different characters and bits of the story we received in each of their sections immediately hooked me. For some reason, some of their memory reveals felt anti-climatic, but I think the theme that different people process memories/moments/events differently and they can have a catastrophic impact on individuals' lives and seem unimportant to others was nuanced and layered.

Character writing was complex and nuanced, and I especially liked seeing how Louise fully crystallized with different perspectives falling into place. I also liked the tiny overlaps as each of the characters encounter one another in different ways.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Medical content, Car accident, and Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, and Alcohol

Minor: Incest, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Abandonment