Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

My Absolute Darling by Gabriel Tallent

9 reviews

laura_cat's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Perhaps the most deeply disturbing book I’ve ever read. This book has extremely graphic descriptions of violence and cruelty and I had to skip ahead at times to avoid some of them. I am relieved to be finished with the book. It’s well-written but I’m not convinced that all of the scenes and disturbing imagery were necessary, and I wonder if this detracted from the impact.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

teadragon's review against another edition

I firmly believe that the author has never talked to a teenager nor a rape victim.  The dialog throughout the 301 pages I read was unrealistic.  I was absolutely disgusted at how he describes the rape scenes.  It was like he was writing scenes for a romance novel, not about incest between a daughter and her father.  Could not finish.  Made my blood boil.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, and Alcohol

amessina3399's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Wow. What beautiful language, and what a masterfully told and utterly heart wrenching tale. While not told in the first person, this story paints  such a viscerally clear picture of what it’s like being in an abusive relationship, and why it can be so hard to leave. The only thing stopping me from giving a full 5 stars is the ending—it was a great ending, don’t get me wrong, but it left a lot of holes open that were set up earlier in the book to seemingly be revisited. So while I was disappointed with its conclusion, it was overall a fantastic read that I highly recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

kellyofcali's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

I rapidly consumed this book, which is heart-wrenchingly dark and awful, but very well written and you just keep reading hoping that it's going to get better (I won't say whether this want comes to be). It is really, really tough, so you have to be up for that kind of horrific material, but I found myself quickly entangled in the characters and story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Kidnapping, Abortion, and Alcohol

Minor: Pregnancy

jae_lou's review against another edition

dark emotional tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Medical content, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

klstock_'s review

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death, Medical trauma, and Murder

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Pregnancy

cursivewolf's review against another edition

It made me too uncomfortable. I want to revisit it again at some point, and hopefully I can. But it was too much.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

laaneorg's review against another edition

dark emotional 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: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

zeegy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.25

i am surprised by how invested i was in the book. watching turtle come to her own realization that she needs to get away. her friendship with brett and jacob. brett actually genuinely taking a bullet for her. jacob respecting her wish of not seeing each other for a year. anna being her new guardian. her sense of affection for cayenne. it's everything that made her leave that made this book worth it imo

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Incest, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Drowning