Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Fruit of the Dead by Rachel Lyon

24 reviews

kds247's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This is such a beautiful book. The text is almost like poetry and the two voices for both the mother and daughter are incredibly distinctive. I loved both of their voices more than I have in any other book. Now with that I would want to point out the content warning of rape and abuse. It is very much a factor that drives this book, and if it is a trigger for you do not read it. It was a very dark read but one of the most profound books I’ve read in a while. Specifically surrounding the themes of being a woman in all of its gorgeous and grotesque ways.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Death

megnut's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

An emotionally painful read. (As someone else put it: this was a story of trauma and control.)

The story was well done... but I don't feel comfortable recommending it. 

Cory's story made me heart hurt so much. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Drug use

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Minor: Death, Sexism, and Sexual content

maddiejane18's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

thequillhand's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting

amyglbarker's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Firstly, to whoever chose 'Succession meets Ancient Greece by way of Emma Cline' as a pull-quote for the front cover - immediate raise. Absolutely nailed your target audience. (However, I do generally despair for the publishing trend  that means books have to be distilled into snappy, internet-worthy quotes in order to sell them. I think it's depressing, downplays the intelligence of the reader, and says a lot about the current state of publishing and marketing. It just happened to work on me this time.)

Well-paced, creeping tension throughout the whole book. Genuinely unsettling. I liked the ebb-and-flow of the narrative and how much the feeling of safety oscillated. I thought all three of our main characters - Cory, Rolo, and Emer - were murky, fascinating, and fleshed out. It's hard to write complex characters who aren't necessarily likeable (and in some cases detestable) so I'm always happy when it lands. 

My only criticism is that some of the narrative threads/themes could have been teased out a bit more. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault

crgrace's review against another edition

dark reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Drug use

Moderate: Addiction and Sexual assault

Minor: Self harm

rebeccakoury's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Sexual violence, and Injury/Injury detail

wordsmithreads's review against another edition

3.0

I love that this focused more on Demeter/Emer and didn't just make Hades/Rolo the dark bad boy love interest. 
I enjoyed this but felt that the plot sprawled a bit too far out for me to feel engrossed the whole read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, and Rape

gondorgirl's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, Gaslighting, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

misfate's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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

4.5

I devoured this lush, dark, hypnotic retelling of Persephone and Demeter. The prose is very rich and trippy. This book encapsulates the desperation of wanting to leave childhood behind, but in that desperation making dangerous and wild choices that lead you even farther from the freedom you were craving. You may also enjoy this novel if you like The Fall of the House of Usher, Lapvona, Chuck Palahniuk, watching beautiful things rot and decay, the feverish feeling of hot and hazy days where you can't quite wake up, Euphoria, Demon Copperhead, Saltburn.

Check trigger warnings. There are no quotations for the dialogue.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Addiction