Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Bad Girls by Camila Sosa Villada

13 reviews

panicpoet's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

ktfytz's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

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

4.0

An intensely sad book. It feels like reading a dream, or someone else's dream. The narrative is jerky and confusing, switching timelines and locations but ultimately moving in a linear direction. Perhaps it reflects the disjointed reality of its protagonists. Exploring the world of trans sex workers in Cordoba, Argentina, this memoir(?) is incredibly interesting while overwhelmingly sad. I think the blasé manner in which the horrors suffered by the protagonist and her colleagues is described is what makes this book so depressing. Despite this I'm really glad I read it. 

The writing and translation were really beautiful, some favourite quotes include: 

"So we chased our johns, forced into [...] feeling that there was nothing worse than being a fairy choking on the hot world of men, where all issues are resolved with kicks and punches" (97)

"But poverty draped its cloak further and further over me" (109)

"He was a cowardly, cheap, cunning, and grabby. But give credit where credit is due: he also made chocolate-covered pancakes with dulce de leche in about two minutes and they were always perfect, it was the only manifestation of beauty of which he was capable." (172)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, and Alcohol

wmelissa's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Vomit, Police brutality, and Alcohol

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Abandonment

theboricuabookworm's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

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

4.25

A deeply personal account of the life and experiences of a group of travesties (trans women) living in Argentina. The book primarily follows Camila as she navigates her life as a sex worker. CSV does not shy away from the brutalities she faces every day purely because she exists and refuses to flinch away from herself and her identity. In a raw and real story with a dash of magical realism you are drawn to Camila and the other travestis as they grow up and into themselves in a world determined to see them gone.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Transphobia

Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual content, and Suicide

vcriveros's review against another edition

emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Bellísimo y desolador, no puedo a leer más de la autora. La escritura es brillante y los personajes inolvidables. Los elementos de realismo mágico no me fueron ni vinieron personalmente, pero las transiciones entre el foco en la protagonista y las otras chicas lo hace polifónico y continuamente en movimiento de una forma que me encantó. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Child abuse, Fatphobia, Blood, Excrement, and Grief

solusipse's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Suicide attempt, Murder, Outing, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Classism

fynn_jls's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

Unglaublich heavy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Police brutality

junglejelly's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

I honestly don't know where to start with this book except to say it's a must read.

It is so beautifully and heartbreakingly written. The characters, including the settings, come so easily to life off the page. With so few words, Camila Sosa Villada makes you care for this chosen family (who love and fight just like a biological/traditional family).

I wish the book was longer and delved more into Camila's life from being a teenager to her 20s. I felt a few of the chapters too short and the flow of the book jarring with "flashbacks". Hence not the full 5 stars but this is personal preference.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Transphobia, and Violence

Moderate: Drug use and Grief

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Deadnaming, Drug abuse, and Mental illness

elinna's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Una historia maravillosa que te aprieta el corazón, pero que al mismo tiempo ese amor entre penumbras y de noche te va cuidando.
Escucharlo en voz de la autora fue una experiencia maravillosa.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Classism

maxgdy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Outing, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail