Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Ocalić syna by Lucinda Berry

22 reviews

k8lynn's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-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 is the most difficult book i have ever read. i cried so hard. but it really opens up questions in your mind you never thought you'd ask.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

nkerekes's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

I have a lot to say but not sure how to put it into words. This one captivated my attention but idk if that’s a good thing. 

Before I touch on that, can we PLEEEEEEASSSSEEEEE put content warnings on audiobooks because HO.LEE.SHIT. If you can’t handle the content in this and you go in blind, it can be incredibly activating to your grief, trauma, etc. 

I took big issue with some of the things said in this book, including (spoilers) when Katie said Noah could touch her and she still wouldn’t be afraid of him, to which he responded that she’s cute or something. And the other area that bothered me is when mom’s thoughts centered around the kind of abuse Noah did to the girls. There was something about how he “only touched them” which is WILD. And then she goes on to say that their lives aren’t ruined forever like Noah’s and that their doctor’s visits didn’t result in evidence of sexual abuse. HELLO??? That’s A WILD CLAIM. 

I understand that the author likely wanted this story to read like a conflict of perspectives and the battle between love and what’s “right” but omg this book is messy, deeply disturbing, and frustrating. 

I will never pick this one up again. I don’t regret reading it but it wasn’t enjoyable, I just couldn’t put it down because I needed to know where the hell it was going. 

I can’t rate this. I

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Grief

aleen_elizabeth's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

carlycurry's review against another edition

challenging dark sad fast-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Suicide attempt, and Sexual harassment

questionablereads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

5.0

this is rough and a page turner, and just, damn. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault

nfury95's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Drug use and Grief

Minor: Vomit

reneelouise8's review against another edition

dark emotional sad

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

_soulfullyrich's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, and Suicide attempt

yinzer_barbie's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Rape, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Child death and Pedophilia

Minor: Drug use

zarakoconnor's review against another edition

dark tense 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? Yes

1.0

I tried so hard to read this book without DNFing. The way she has written an unlikeable narrator was very successful, I absolutely hated this woman and what she thought and continuously believed. She makes her son the victim in this situation and this was disgusting to read. HOWEVER!!! The purpose of this book felt like it was intending to address stigma of pedophilia and the way sexual predators are treated by the community, and I absolutely agree that we as a society need to shift our thinking about this toward a harm reduction and mental health model, rather than carceral, as people deserve treatment. But this is not what she did!!!!

The ending implies that after all of the commentary about how he isn’t a monster, and all the excuses made for him by his mother and the caring professionals, he actually IS a monster and is irredeemable and will never get better so he should die

which absolutely adds to the stigma this author intended to challenge!! The notion that pedophiles are irredeemable is both dehumanising and makes this behaviour seem inevitable, with people being victimised because “that’s just what pedophiles do” rather than attempting to treat them and work on prevention.  Also, the chapters from his perspective lend me to believe that we are MEANT to sympathise with him and how poorly he was treated, which is not handled gracefully when the underaged victims in this book are downplayed and treated as dramatic for their trauma, but I’m supposed to be sympathetic of his trauma? This makes me so angry, and I do not understand the positive reviews. This book failed. Lucinda Berry, do more research on pedophilic disorder and treatments because it is clear you skimmed it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Forced institutionalization and Grief

Minor: Fire/Fire injury