Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

10 reviews

kristinj1's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I went back and forth on giving this book 5 stars, or 4.75 stars. I tore through it in three days and felt like I saw pieces of myself in the main character - and, honestly, I have no quibbles with how it was written. So I landed on 5 stars, even though I think I hated some of the story. The sexual abuse of kids by adults and by a stepbrother was really, really terrible to read. I'm glad the author didn't dwell on it in the writing in order to traumatize all of their readers, yet I am still questioning if something that clearly has such a major impact on the main character's life (not to mention her mother's before her) should have had more time devoted to it in the writing? But that becomes dangerously close to trauma porn, which would mean that's all I remember from this book. By tucking it away in our main character's mind, it also tucked it away in our mind. Still flagging there, causing an irritation whenever you went across it, still making itself known. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal cruelty, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Miscarriage, Blood, Death of parent, and Abandonment

hanngigi's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Incest, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Grief

Moderate: Cancer, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, and Terminal illness

Minor: Animal death, Drug use, and Alcohol

beatriks's review

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

This book is great, a family story, mysterious, dark, light, beautifully written, great twists, good jumps in timelines, overall great storytelling.

A great story about the sh*t women have to deal with in this world built by weak and violent men. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Infidelity, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Sexual content, Stalking, and Pregnancy

Minor: Drug use, Misogyny, and Alcohol

lbh_0327's review

dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Pregnancy

Minor: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Vomit, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

marlee_grace's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

Slow paced. Confusing timeline. Too many characters to keep track of. Enjoyed the concept.

If it wasn't for the shameless book club, this would have been a DNF. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, and Grief

leahrosiee's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cancer, Terminal illness, and Medical trauma

Minor: Drug use, Eating disorder, Infertility, and Grief

ciaracullen's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Body shaming, Cancer, Chronic illness, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Antisemitism, and Alcohol

bethanyschaner's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape and Sexual assault

Minor: Death, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and Alcohol

lyricallit's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

(This may change after a book club discussion)

I struggle to know how to rate this. Initially, I did not think I'd enjoy it, but then found myself devouring a vast portion of the book. There were longish, overly detailed sections I could have done without but overall the pacing was very good. But damn the trauma in this woman's life, in her whole family... I think I heard it called "tragedy porn" and I m trying to decide if I agree with that assessment.

Ultimately I found the ending unsatisfying. I felt that the character development made a good case for the decision she had seemed to settle on... Only for her to reverse that decision in the last 2 paragraphs. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Body shaming and Incest

Minor: Cancer, Drug use, and Suicidal thoughts

wally81481's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Murder

Minor: Cancer and Drug use