Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

13 reviews

apuskas's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.5

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, though I am not sure why I expected anything different. Two things: most (essentially all) characters, including unpleasant ones, are portrayed with a bit of cheer and redemption. Also, there  is a sneaky combination of meandering and economy in the prose. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Toxic friendship

maddielle's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective tense fast-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Moderate: Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol

greenan26's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

Moderate: Cursing, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, and Alcohol

mels_reading_log's review against another edition

funny lighthearted mysterious fast-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

Bernadette doesn’t belong in Seattle, but her husband is a big shot at Microsoft, so there she is. So different from all the other moms at her kid’s (Bee) school. In a wild series of events in which everyone acts without actually discussing anything with each other, Bernadette goes missing. Now it’s up to Bee to think like her mom to try to find her even though everyone else has given up hope. This book was hilarious and I loved it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Infidelity and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Animal death, Bullying, Drug use, Miscarriage, and Suicidal thoughts

221bpinkst's review

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.5

Some language

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, and Religious bigotry

cawaza's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Suicidal thoughts

stressedoutreader's review against another edition

adventurous reflective slow-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use

sinceslicedread's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious fast-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

4.5

I really enjoyed all of the moving parts of this book.

My only complaint is the ending. I think Sue Lynn getting pregnant was unnecessary and left a lot to be desired at the end. How would this affect the characters’ relationships?

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Content Warnings

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, and Classism

mateoj's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

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

3.75

I think the main selling point for this story is the way it's told partially via emails, notes, articles, etc ; I'm a sucker for that trope. Unfortunately, Where'd You Go, Bernadette falls victim to the classic pratfall of that trope, which is that the characters write unrealistically long and prosaic emails and letters in order to get the narrative across. This grated on my nerves throughout the novel, but I have to admit that it was fun to read nonetheless. The story itself... equal parts entertaining and infuriating. The only character I found remotely tolerable and redeemable was Bee; everyone else sucked, especially Bernadette herself. All I really saw in her was a very mentally ill woman who was unhealthily attached to her child and had an incredible amount of sheer dumb luck. The answer to the title question should really have been "therapy"—but rhen, of course, there would be no story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Forced institutionalization, and Alcohol

Minor: Misogyny and Rape

milda_mark's review against another edition

adventurous funny 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Drug use