Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

When No One Is Watching by Alyssa Cole

22 reviews

m_moon's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Vomit

shaun_dh's review against another edition

challenging dark funny informative mysterious sad tense fast-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? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail

bringitona's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Alcoholism, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Slavery, Terminal illness, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Addiction, Fire/Fire injury, and Classism

rachelfayreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Terminal illness, and Torture

yourbookishbff's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

When the reality of gentrification is a horror story, it makes a compelling premise for a thriller. Cole weaves together a story that should feel impossibly evil and calculated, but every time the reader is tempted to think so, she points again to history - it happened here, and here, and here. I enjoyed the dual POV, and Cole's use of Theo's narrative helps to highlight the advantages white people - even in abject poverty - have over Black people and other people of color. Sydney's narrative, meanwhile, is the haunting reminder that the abuse of - and gaslighting of - Black women is far from fiction. My only challenge in this was the pacing in the first half - I struggled to stay invested - and some dialogue that felt flat toward the end and lessened the emotional impact. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Racism, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Classism

clarkg's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

When No One Is Watching is unsettling, grotesque, and and believable. Drawing from the real-life horrors of gentrification and medical abuse, this thriller is a stomach-churning exploration of how Whiteness and corporate greed act as predatory forces in marginalized communities. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Torture, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Colonisation

Minor: Infidelity and Fire/Fire injury

madmantha's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective tense 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

4.75

One of the best books I’ve ever read, if not THE best. 
Thrilling, anxiety-inducing, emotional and yet hilarious at the same time. 

Can’t wait to suggest this read to others, I loaned it from the library but will definitely be purchasing my own copy. This is something that deserves to be remembered and celebrated for years to come. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual content, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Body horror, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Excrement, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Slavery, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Outing, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

ashleigh_sorbet's review against another edition

adventurous informative mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Death of parent

fayelle's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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? It's complicated

5.0

Okay, so this book had me in all sorts of ways while I was reading it. A pretty slow (but very necessarily slow) burn until the big action starts... really great character development. What took me some time to realize - Alyssa Cole crafts this story and pulls you in, and drops hints, and feeds you bits in a way you didn't even know was happening until you're like, "WAIT A MINUTE HERE..." And then you see all the clues, all the bits, have been setting up for a crescendo of sorts. But it's not a mystery novel. I wish I had ways to describe it better... it IS thrilling. But it takes a while to get there. Not at all boring during the slow trod of the first half, just maybe not what you'd expect til the bottom starts to drop out in the second half. And then you realize the train you're on has become a roller coaster and wow, just wow. THRILLER. And then, you finish, and you realize just how true to life some of this really is.

So basically, EXCELLENT. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Cursing and Sexual content

elzibub's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, and Grief