Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Talking at Night by Claire Daverley

4 reviews

shaleen64's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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

3.75

A perfect example of the miscommunication trope that follows Rosie and Will from teenagers to middle age.

The story explores growing up, loss, grief, navigating relationships, making a life for yourself and the people you need around you to achieve that. The piano scene is heartbreaking in the best possible way.

It’s often compared to Normal People, and because the main trope is the same it’s clear why, but I found the main characters in Normal People more relatable. But even so, if you enjoyed Normal People you will enjoy this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Mental illness, Self harm, and Medical content

Moderate: Death, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

Minor: Drug use and Vomit

katksi's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Chronic illness, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, and Dysphoria

gabrielastbr's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child death, Mental illness, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Vomit

reads_eats_explores's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-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

3.5

One cold November night, teenagers Will and Rosie meet while sitting around a bonfire, surrounded by their school friends, including Rosie’s twin brother and Will’s good friend, Josh. 

This is a story as old as time – the overprivileged, shy, straight-A girl who falls for the achingly handsome, wrong-sides-of-the-track bad boy. 

But maybe as we follow Will and Rosie on their ‘will they/won’t they’ journey, things will not be quite as they seem.

Talking at Night begins in a small Norfolk town in the 1990s and is split into three parts entitled ‘before’, ‘after’, and ‘long after’, and as the book unravels, we learn about the shared traumas that give reason behind these headings.

The book overall felt very YA in narrative style, and I suppose 20-year-old me would lap this up; 40-year-old me wanted a grittier read that I could really get my teeth into.

Saying that, I did enjoy the read and found it nostalgia inducing and highly immersive (a book to binge in one or two long lazy sittings) once I got over my initial irritation with Rosie, much preferring Wills's point of view and backstory. I'll certainly read more from this author in future; this is undoubtedly a solid debut. 3.5⭐

Many thanks to the author and publisher for this advance copy. As always, this is an honest review.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism