Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou

27 reviews

bloodmaarked's review against another edition

challenging funny reflective 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

disorientation is certainly one of the most fun books i’ve read this year. so similar in theme and even somewhat in tone to Yellowface by r.f. kuang, it’s no surprise that i enjoyed it as much as i did. i also love a book where we watch the main character’s slow descent into madness, and this book had a great version of this.

✧ full review on my tumblr ✧

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting

oz2021's review against another edition

emotional funny informative reflective 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Drug abuse and Toxic relationship

Minor: Racial slurs

smolswol's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting

Minor: Mental illness and Toxic relationship

bites_of_books's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

I absolutely flew through this book! I might have been a bit triggered by the depiction of academia (a bit close to home, reminding me of my grad school days...) but it was a very satisfying read overall. 

Ingrid is a young PhD student on track to become someone in academia, if only she could figure out how to finish her dissertation. The character development that she goes through is impeccable and all the other supporting characters provide great contrast, add complexity, and kept the story moving at a fast pace. 

A great novel that I'd highly recommend if you're at all interested in the ways that academia has and continues to profit off of POC students and cultures. Also, if you just want a story that is character driven with complex character development!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Classism, and Deportation

chaoticenby's review against another edition

dark funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

4.0

Absolutely captivating, wild and unexpected, highly relatable as an Asian American. The plot takes you on such a ride and I loved every moment, with so mean reveals and twists in the mystery my heart racing and pages turning. The cast of Asian American characters capture a full experience of life, that had me recalling my own experiences growing up, my relationship to white institutions, and varying relationships with community.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Racism, Xenophobia, and Cultural appropriation

Moderate: Drug abuse and Sexism

haave's review against another edition

funny informative lighthearted reflective tense fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Colonisation

bootsmom3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative lighthearted mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Toxic relationship, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Injury/Injury detail

cweeks_ng's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

3.25

I wanted to like this book, but the second half was a disappointment for me. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, Racial slurs, and Racism

Minor: Sexual content

secunda's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny informative tense fast-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

4.75

This is one of the best fiction books I’ve read this year. I think the primary audience of course is well-educated Asian women, but I think anyone can enjoy this book. It’s a fantastic skewering of white-dominated Asian studies departments, unstrategic student activism, and grad school. 

I was also confused for most of the book regarding the arc with the white fiancé, but I think the ending of the book more or less sorted it out when Ingrid leaves Stephen not necessarily for his Asian fetish, but because she doesn’t like him as a person. As an Asian woman who is currently dating a white man (and so faced similar questions to the ones Ingrid confronts), I find interrogating your own dating preferences over and over to be counterproductive to your ultimate happiness, so I feel that arc went on a little longer than I liked.

  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual violence, Violence, Stalking, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Religious bigotry

kathshiroma's review against another edition

• 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Stalking, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Bullying, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Violence

Minor: Body shaming, Outing, Colonisation, and Deportation