Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

15 reviews

sappypatheticm's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual harassment

Minor: Child death, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, and Alcohol

maddramaqueen's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Alcohol

ranbara's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

5.0

So facking good. What can I say.

It made me giddy. It made me blush, worse than before. It was like liquor. It made me drunk. I drew away. When her breath came now upon my mouth, it came very cold. My mouth was wet, from hers. I said, in a whisper,
'Do you feel it?'

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Mental illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

Minor: Alcoholism, Child death, and Racial slurs

erynlasbelin's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

5.0

There aren't enough stars for this book. The writing is gorgeous: the historical elements are well done, the atmosphere is vivid, and the two protagonists have such distinct voices. All the primary characters are complex, realistic, frustrating, sympathetic - even the villains. And the twists! I can't remember the last time a novel kept me on the edge of my seat like this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Ableism, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Grief, Lesbophobia, and Outing

Minor: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Drug use, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, and Alcohol

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Homophobia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Eating disorder, Incest, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Racism, and Alcohol

outerscout's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

4.25

found it slow to get started but once it did...absolutely bonkers. the final part, especially the first ~60 pages, was difficult to get through & i wish we had

more of maud and susan together before the ending

but i understand why this is the case. will be thinking about this book for a long time

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Murder, and Alcohol

careinthelibrary's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

The setting and the characters shine in this. It feels very Sweeney Todd, dark and dirty London. The characters are well-rounded, surprising, likeable, and compelling.
I wasn't on board with the perspective change mid-book during reading it but now recognize the complexity it allowed the book to portray.
It really kept me guessing and kept me invested in Sue's and Maud's life. The twists and turns and the character development had me picturing this as a movie in my mind.
It's really giving on so many fronts: there's a queer love story, a betrayal plot, a mystery, mistaken identities, an asylum, a murder.
This is definitely for fans of Frannie Langton and Sally Lockhart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Transphobia, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Classism

directorpurry's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

Minor: Child death, Rape, and Sexual assault

kpwxx's review against another edition

medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Outing, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Eating disorder, Dementia, Stalking, Abortion, and Deportation

shingekiyes's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted mysterious sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

(another library audiobook rental) 

i definitely would have enjoyed this more if i read a physical copy, but the audiobook was also very good! 

this is a fantastic lesbian classic that really appealed to my historical fiction fan brain. the details of the culture/customs era and setting were really fun and added some levity to the darker plots. 

Sue’s perspective in parts one and the end of part three were hilarious, but the scenes at the asylum were honestly nauseating at times. Maud’s point of view was less funny, more thoughtful and romantic. I loved that she had feelings for Sue before Sue realized her own feelings. 

several of the plot twists were brutal, though i admit i spoiled many of them through impatient googling. the pacing was about right, and the romantic element kept me on my toes the entire time. although i really liked living in each character’s head, some parts did drag on and on, which is why this only gets a 4/5 from me. 

overall, i enjoyed the complexity of how each woman felt about themselves and each other, their clear motivations, their unique histories, and their satisfying, poetic ending. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Murder, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Child death, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail