Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Book of the Most Precious Substance by Sara Gran

9 reviews

vexatiousbird's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

Sometimes feels like it’s trying too hard, but this was a fun, dark, decadent romp about pleasure and pain and obsession.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Sexual content, Violence, Dementia, and Alcohol

shaun_dh's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This book was SAUCY. I devoured it. The plot was so delicious and I couldn’t stop reading. I had an overwhelming sense of dread for the last half of the book in the way only Sara Gran can make me feel—I read Come Closer last year which is a phenomenal read

The ending is the only thing stopping this from being 4.5 stars. A not super spoil-y spoiler, just my thoughts about the ending:

It felt anticlimactic and Lily deserved better.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Confinement

Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

cosypuck's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

2.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Dementia, Murder, and Alcohol

readwithbells's review against another edition

5.0

Holy shit. What a fucking read. A gothic centred on an object instead of a place. Erotic and sensual and frightening and utterly engaging. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything like it. And though the culmination was what I predicted it was completely satisfying. Often that’s the charm of gothics for me: we already know the main character will reveal their monster, and with the premise we can often guess how that’s going to unfold, but the journey there will be different for every writer and the experience different for every reader. 

Not a book for everyone but I adored how twisted this is. Might be my favourite book this year so far. I feel completely spellbound. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol

cattheteawitchfairy's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

A very interesting concept; who doesn’t love books about books? The idea was interesting and I did want to know what happened but the execution wasn’t too great and I found it very dark and disjointed at times.

There were aspects I would have liked to have seen developed more and things I didn’t see coming because they were out of character etc.

Interesting read, not sure if I would re read it though.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug use, Infidelity, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Murder, and Alcohol

thecatconstellation's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

This book is well-written and interesting, but I didn’t warm to any of the characters. It is a book about sex magic and books, so if that sounds up your alley, I would give it a try. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Dementia, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

babayagaofficial's review

adventurous 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Dementia, and Murder

Moderate: Ableism, Chronic illness, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, and Grief

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Drug use, Infidelity, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

I loved this book overall. Occasionally the way that Lily talked about Abel — her husband suffering from dementia who is unable to care for himself and does not respond or communicate — was pretty painful to read. She loves him very much and is devoted to his care, but at a few points there are some ableist sentiments (“burden,” “drooling thing”) that readers who are sensitive to such things should be aware of.

kris386's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Sexual content, Blood, Dementia, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Infidelity, and Alcohol

takarakei's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Alcohol

Moderate: Chronic illness and Grief

Minor: Drug use, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Murder