Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

The Way I Used to Be by Amber Smith

32 reviews

sierrabedwell's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Wow. What an emotional read. I read this in 3 days and couldn’t put it down. The main character truly takes you with her while she recovers from a traumatic incident throughout her years of highschool. She makes you feel her emotions. I would recommend to anyone but major trigger warning for SA. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Grief, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Violence, Body shaming, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Drug abuse, and Drug use

mariahell's review

dark emotional relaxing sad tense medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Drug abuse

bethsbookshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

1.75

1.5 stars

why is nobody talking about how discouraging this book is? there is no hope for survivors. even towards the end, when the author says there's this glimmer of hope, there really isn't. eden's bridges are burned, her reputation is marked, there is no trustworthy adult that we know of to carry her through her healing journey, and we certainly don't see an epilogue where she is making progress. justice may or may not come, and every person that eden does confide in is completely toxic. that police interview at the end? GROSS. but the author seems to think it was okay! and don't even get me started on eden's brother. and josh. oh boy. way to make it about you, dude - while cheating on your girlfriend as well?!!?! this book is trauma porn, full of a wild series of harmful events rooted in an exaggerated slut-shaming culture, with absolutely nobody to pull eden, a teenage girl, from rock bottom.

if i were a young girl considering whether to come forward with a crime committed against me, this would certainly deter me from telling anybody. there are no adults you can trust. young girls deserve better than this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Rape, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

s4fe_sound's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Spoiler

i like the trope “they didn’t end up together” more than i thought! it would be unrealistic if they got back together after all that, and i’m glad the author acknowledged it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Alcoholism

Minor: Vomit

m_antoinette_c's review

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, and Addiction

Moderate: Drug abuse and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Vomit

awewyh's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Drug use, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse

booksbymae's review

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Drug abuse and Addiction

buffy87's review

dark emotional sad 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

3.0

Writing: nothing amazing but not too problematic either. It's mediocre and it doesn't hold you back as you read or jars you out of the book

Content: life after trauma *SPOILERS* it opens with her being raped by her older brothers friend. Then it goes through the next 4 years of her high school life. It shows how the trauma impacts her self worth, her relationships with her pare ta, and her best friend. She copes by trying to feel BC she is dissociated from herself so she drinks, does weed, and has sex with multiple partners at parties. All high risk to give her a sense of control and feeling. Amanda is the interesting piece though many people can figure out her role in the story very early on.

Overall: I appreciate the.nivel because it puts a harrowing experience like this into a tangible set of words. I felt sick reading parts of it which is why i was unhappy with how quickly it ends. I needed more closure for Eden BC it kind of takes you right to the edge but I needed more time to process and feel a sense of relief or justice. It just ends too soon for how heavy the actual story is. I wish there.was more backend to balance the book. That's why I'm eating it only 3/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Incest, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, and Drug abuse

heyangelique's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This book is one that I think that everyone should read! It’s a very real reality for a lot of people and it does a really great job showing the way that some people choose to cope with their trauma. 

I’m eagerly awaiting the next one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug abuse, and Sexual content

jess_c008's review

emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Minor: Vomit