Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Violeta by Isabel Allende

88 reviews

pam_pam_85's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Child death, Death, and Drug abuse

Minor: Child abuse

amkleintje's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Suicide, and Death of parent

Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, and Trafficking

Minor: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence

jacarroll's review against another edition

challenging slow-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

2.5

Couldn’t stand the cynical, ignorant narrator. That might’ve been the point but it makes the entire book was a collection of negative attitudes and emotions

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Sexism

the_clueless_tourist's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Abortion, Pregnancy, Alcohol, War, and Pandemic/Epidemic

emilietje's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Wow. Ik heb dit echt graag gelezen.
Normaal schrikt historische fictie me een beetje af omdat ik bang ben dat het saai gaat zijn. Integendeel, Violeta is zo'n boek dat je meesleept doorheen een 100 jaar lang verhaal met personages die verschijnen en weer weggaan, en toch geraak je niet verward en ben je zo emotioneel betrokken met alles wat er gebeurt. Allende slaagt er telkens in om je mee te nemen terug in de tijd, ze legt het zó goed uit. Ik kan lofgedichten schrijven over hoe fantastisch ze het feminisme mengt in het leven van haar vrouwelijke personages. Echt gewoon meesterlijk. Ik hou van vrouwen en ik hou ervan wanneer vrouwen onderling gemeenschap en bescherming zoeken en vinden. Deze gaat me even bijblijven.
Shoutout to oma for buying it for me, fantastic rec <3

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Murder, and War

teainthelibrary's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Violence, and Police brutality

bookellys's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Violeta and join her on her journey of reflection as she recounts her 100 year life.

Written as letters to her Grandson, Violeta’s life is bookended with scary similarities having been born in 1920 when the Spanish Flu ravaged her home country (Mexico) with the book ending during the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

Across her life time we hear about her great loves, tragedies, as well as getting an insight into the political history of Mexico (though I don’t think the book ever actually says she is Mexican, I just googled the places she mentions).

I loved the prominence of family in her story, be that those related by blood, or the family that is chosen as was so often the case in Violeta’s life.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Drug abuse, and Genocide

Minor: Rape

chingona_solo's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.5

"With time we only remember events, emotions fade" sums up the book well. An interesting story but it felt like there were no emotions attached to the events, which was an odd choice. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Cancer and Incest

lexcellent's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, War, and Classism

itsaas_r's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Sexual assault