Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann

48 reviews

liz_kat's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, and Murder

becca__xo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Shit…I loved this book so much. It broke my heart and glued it back together. It was truly a beautifully written book with soul! I don’t normally cry during books…but this one definitely got me. I recommend this book 100% but please read the trigger warnings. 


Also this may or may not be a controversial opinion but I despise Mandy. I understand that she was upset but she was so incredibly selfish when her sister needed her the most and I would never forgive that. Having a younger sister myself and reading how Mandy treated Cora…I just could not get over how awful and inconsiderate she was acting. 🤷🏻‍♀️

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt

Moderate: Animal death, Rape, and Kidnapping

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Death, Miscarriage, and Self harm

houseoflies's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

What the fuck man😭😭😭😭I'll never emotionally recover from this book

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Torture, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt

mistakensmiles's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Torture, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal death, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Abortion, and Murder

carli_likes_books's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This is one of the darkest books I’ve ever read. I know it is going to be a core memory. My heart is simultaneously full and broken. 

There is a HEA

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Kidnapping, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and Pregnancy

erinb1414's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Torture, and Suicide attempt

toasterstrubes's review against another edition

dark emotional tense 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? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Rape, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Miscarriage and Murder

katsa6's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

What a gut wrenching powerful book looking at trauma, survival, depression and darkness. It is a tragic love story that you really can't see the light in but is so mesmerizing that it kept me glued to it. Cora and Dean are about to be in laws as Dean is going to marry Mandy- Cora's sister until a twist of fate has them stuck in a serial killers basement trying to survive. It is all their stories from the past to the present. It hurt. It made me cry. I felt so much for all the characters. I could feel all their pain. Check your trigger warnings as this had alot of disturbing and sad things that happen. Worth the read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Abortion

boomwormbrittany's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Still Beating follows Cora and Dean who have despised each other since high school but Dean is engaged to Cora's sister and is stuck with Dean. When they are kidnapped together by a serial killer called The Matchmaker, they find themselves having to overcome trauma together and grow closer.
This whole book was so heart wrenching and was such an exploration of pain, grief and healing. This book had me crying and I felt my heart being ripped apart. However, I absolutely loved this book.
This book is messy, painful and really hard to read at times but I flew through it when I had a chance to just sit and read. Dean and Cora are absolutely broken and end up in a cycle of trying to heal while also still hurting. It's so hard to watch them end up in a toxic cycle together while also trying to heal each other. Dean cares so much for Cora and she cares for him and it's so hard to watch them struggle to try to get better.
There are actual tears in my book because it made me cry so hard at times. The beginning of this book, part one, is so hard to read because it's such an awful situation to end up in and see characters go through. The rest of the book is about healing and learning to live with trauma which I greatly appreciated. Jennifer Hartmna's writing was so perfect for this story and it's clear she tried to handle this with so much depth and compassion.
I really loved this book and it has earned a place on my favorites shelf. I would say to be aware of the triggers in this book if you decide to pick it up and know that this is a hard read. I thought it was absolutely worth it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Grief, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Miscarriage and Panic attacks/disorders

samestelle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Dementia, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment