Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

This Is Not a Dead Girl Story by Kate Sweeney

3 reviews

tyraarane's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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

4.0

This was a difficult book to read, and an even trickier one to review. As another reviewer noted, it's less of a mystery story and more an exploration of grief, young love (both requited and not), and the violence done to women and girls. Because of its subject matter it won't be for everyone, for certain, but I think this is one of the best handlings of those subjects I've read in a very long time. The last 50-75 pages in particular were un-put-down-able. 

Read the content warnings before you pick this one up and make sure you're in the right head space for it--but if you are, I think you'll find a well-realized, sympathetic cast of characters whose problems and experiences feel heartbreakingly real.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Misogyny, Suicide, Grief, and Stalking

Moderate: Drug abuse and Mental illness

Minor: Domestic abuse

avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

    Part of the reason I didn't enjoy this book as much as I might have, is that it was so dark, and I wasn't in the right headspace. The part of the mystery was obvious, to me, based on the content warnings at the start of the book. However, the ending was not what I expected at all.
   This book handled quite a few very heavy topics which I appreciated, but I felt like the

grooming portion was underdeveloped.

   Overall, it was a well-done book, just very dark, and with characters that were a bit unlikable. I assume the MC was supposed to be neurodivergent, but she was a sort of unclear type that might be a mishmash of neurodivergent mixed with a personality disorder or a mental illness. It was very strange. 

Narrator Rating: 3.75 stars

   The narrator did a fairly decent job narrating, but something about some of the voices she did just grated on me, the MC seemed annoying. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Drug use, Pedophilia, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, and Car accident

The people who are victims of child death, pedophilia, and an adult/minor relationship are teenagers, mostly 15+.

bookeduntil's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Kidnapping, Car accident, Abandonment, and Alcohol

GROOMING.