Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Prendila così by Joan Didion

27 reviews

samarakroeger's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

a book that sucked me in and spat me out. loved the use of perspective in the narration, the short chapters, and the general sense of unease and desolation. it’s purposefully empty. 

didn’t love the racism, homophobia, sexism, ableism, etc…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Abortion, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicide, Drug abuse, Ableism, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Addiction, and Car accident

morenowagain's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Abortion

Moderate: Mental illness, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Grief, Drug abuse, Addiction, Suicide, Medical content, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Homophobia, and Drug use

Minor: Car accident

wendyeldred's review against another edition

dark emotional

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion

Moderate: Sexual assault, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

sophia66201's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Abortion, and Death

emry23's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion and Suicide

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, and Addiction

Minor: Homophobia

lenaschrn's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Abortion

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Addiction

hannahnasir's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.75

The highlight of this book was Didion’s depiction of escapism. How one reaches a certain point of “what’s the fucking point?”, the panic turns into numbness, the chaos and anarchy into mere white noise. Didion expresses an extreme example of one who is disconnected, alienated in the most implicit means possible, the reader (or at least, me) is suspended in a binding pool of fear, fuelled by absolutely nothing. The feelings I felt whilst reading this book is so difficult to explain. But for the lack of a  better analogy it felt like one big, painfully slow, painfully quiet panic attack. When everything feels so wrong it almost feels right - only it isn’t, this contradiction thus creating a void, in which the reader is pulled into a blackhole of nothing. I sound like I’m talking in circles, but perhaps that’s exactly what it is - a cycle. You feel so much it breaks you to the point of not being able to feel. Only for that to allow others to hurt you even further, breaking you again, so on so forth. TLDR; this book drove me insane. Do not read this if you’re not ready to face horrible Post-Read-Depression.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Alcohol, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

amyrezende's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, and Racism

Moderate: Eating disorder, Addiction, and Emotional abuse

annelore_joy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Addiction, and Suicide

margaretrose's review against another edition

mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

This is a book without a clear plot (there's a series of events but it doesn't carry through in a straightforward way) and like no character development. They sorta suck at the beginning and they don't get better. It's not a book for someone who is looking to read for any reason other than just experiencing another perspective or wanting to try some Joan Didion. 

I also did not expect to read a book with an illegal abortion plot point the weekend that the supreme court struck down roe v. wade but here we are

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Alcohol, Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Medical content, and Pregnancy