Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Looking Glass Sound by Catriona Ward

16 reviews

gondorgirl's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death, Bullying, and Pregnancy

uchihas's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

This book was a ride. The ending was a little disappointing though 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Sexual content, Vomit, Medical content, Abortion, and Fire/Fire injury

kkalicky94's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

foldingthepage_kayleigh's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.25

This is like the perfect summer horror novel. You have sun, sand, sea and tumultuous summer friendships.

Catriona Ward captures the immersive depths and fear that can come with the unknown ocean depths like no other author I’ve read. I’d say it’s a great beach read, but maybe not for those who have a touch of thalassophobia.

The first half of the novel had me obsessed. I loved Wilder’s perspective and the atmosphere Catriona Ward created, moving from the New England coast to dark academia and back. Unfortunately, from the 50-80% mark, the storytelling got quite confusing, trying to figure out who’s who, what’s real and what’s not, random time skips, and shoehorned in POVs, which left me feeling discombobulated. And I won’t get into any spoilers, but I have to say I hated the ending, I thought it was such a cop-out.

Thanks so much Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this advanced listening copy! I’d recommend this one, even given the parts I didn’t love, and it’s still a 4⭐️ read for me!

Overall, if you’re looking for a gothic horror read with a summer setting to cap off your August and get you ready for that September academic vibe, this is the one for you!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Sexual content, and Abortion

savvylit's review

challenging 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

Catriona Ward is an expert at intricate and difficult-to-guess plots. Looking Glass Sound is no exception. In fact, this may be Ward's most layered and mysterious novel yet. Looking Glass Sound features several distinct and immersive perspectives. Ultimately, though, Wilder's youthful point of view is the one that readers spend the most time with. And his characterization is unparalleled. Wilder's outsider status is painfully palpable; I often felt as though I could have been reading one of my own teenage diaries.

For a significant portion of Looking Glass Sound, I was wary about the length (352 pages). I found myself getting so invested in one narrative that I couldn't imagine what Ward would do next. Luckily, I decided to trust the process and eventually, it was all tied together in a surprising way - just like I'd hoped. This is the fourth book of Ward's that I have read and I have come to expect character-driven unsettling tales that burn slowly and conclude in an explosive way. Looking Glass Sound definitely met those expectations! I can't wait to see what Ward publishes next.

Thank you @netgalley @tornightfire and @catward66 for the advanced copy of Looking Glass Sound in exchange for my honest review! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Bullying

soobooksalot's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Catriona Ward is the author version of the 🤯 emoji.
 I was thrilled to receive an ARC of her latest, Looking Glass Sound - thank you Tor Nightfire!
 This is my fourth Ward read, and I was originally hooked with The House On Needless Street. She has the flair for taking straightforward-sounding stories and making them entirely unique and unpredictable.
 Main character Wilder Harlow spends his summers at a seaside cottage in Maine, with friends Nat and Harper. Idyllic summer days are muted by killings in the area by the Dagger Man.
 Looking Glass Sound is told in multiple viewpoints and timeframes, from Wilder, Sky Montague, and Pearl. There's metafiction, autofiction, blurring and layering of events and reveals - it all works in tandem with gorgeous and dark writing.
 As with her other books, it needs to be experienced. Recommended!
 For release on Aug. 8.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail