Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Play It as It Lays by Joan Didion

85 reviews

c_ourte's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.25

I enjoyed it the whole way through.

I was just hoping Maria would wake up even though I knew she wouldn’t.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion

Minor: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Rape

meyeram30's review against another edition

• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.75

I loved the unreliable narrator and how the story read like a film. The setting was unique and intriguing, with a lot of charm and detail. Maria’s story is quite sad but I found myself unable to put it down. Very interesting writing style- like a puzzle where you gather as much detail as provided and fill in the blanks. Definitely worth the read

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Suicide

whimsy_and_rigor's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

If Didion wrote it, it gets 5 stars. This story of Maria from the desert living in LA is a story of women under the power and influence of men. Plus, it’s LA, so the business was of being in the industry as a woman also play a role. The final line from Maria shows, maybe, she has changed. But also, maybe not. Ennui at its finest. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion

Moderate: Domestic abuse

adeline_rivero's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Abortion

Moderate: Gaslighting

lindsaylhunter's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Such an uncomfortable, challenging read. This is a book that needs to be read a second time to really appreciate it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Suicide

Moderate: Homophobia

kkpines's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

3.25

The book's beauty was undeniable, but it didn't quite spark the emotional connection I craved.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Blood, Car accident, Abortion, and Alcohol

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Racial slurs

tillydaisym's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicide, and Abortion

batrick_pateman's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.25

"In the heat some mornings she would wake with her eyes swollen and heavy and she would wonder if she had been crying."

my god this was brutal. bitter, relentlessly bleak, scathing in its portrayal of late 60's hollywood culture. i have to start reading happier books. hopefully The Virgin Suicides will be a bit more fun and upbeat :) 

didion's prose is excellent and reminds me a lot of shirley jackson's (jacksonian? shirleyesque?). it's stripped-down and deceptively simple: words and sentence structures are basic, but every word and every single detail is chosen and placed with such thought and precision that what you end up with is deep, moving, and psychologically complex in just a few lines. didion captures such a rich, anguished mixture of feelings with such brevity, and I like it a lot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, and Abortion

samiisteffenn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

amilou's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Homophobia, and Suicide