Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The First Day of Spring by Nancy Tucker

19 reviews

bluemc's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Child abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Alcohol

danid23's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Grief, Mental illness, and Murder

heather3879's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

This incredibly dark novel is classified as a “thriller” but I found it more horrifying and reflective than thrilling, in a good way. If that makes sense. Christie is a disturbed and neglected child desperate for love and attention who commits a horrific crime. Told in alternating timelines between Christie as a child and as an adult revisiting her home, the story demonstrates the power of a child’s environment on the psyche and the potential for change given the chance for a meaningful connection. It was heavy and horrific in its realism, but well worth the read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Murder, Child death, and Child abuse

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Addiction and Alcoholism

kingcrookback's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad tense slow-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

This was pitched to me as a thriller, and while there was tension in this story, I'd say that this is more of a very dark, very sad character study. Gillian Flynn-esque in the sense that it grapples with themes of childhood trauma/abuse and contemplation of motherhood but with timelines not quite so pressing or urgent. It would have been very easy for Tucker to have made Chrissie out to be an inscrutable monster, but while her actions are hideous, she is still a child - pitiable, at times exasperating or ridiculous, but replete with the kind of logic and understanding of the world that fills only those who are still new to life. As for Julia, for a while I couldn't figure out if having and caring (so deeply) for Molly stemmed from a sense of ingrained selfishness or newly developed selflessness, until I figured that it made more sense for the answer to be "both," no clean lines and no clear-cut answer.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, Child abuse, Murder, and Grief

Moderate: Pregnancy, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse

ashmarie166's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Death, Child abuse, Bullying, Child death, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse

jacksonaugust33's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, and Child abuse

Minor: Alcoholism and Eating disorder

lou_o_donnell's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Classism, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Child abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, and Confinement

hellokatya's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective 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

3.75

this book was not what i had expected going in. i hoped for something different, but it was a very good read. it brings a sort of empathy you would never expect to have, and really broke my heart time and time again. wouldn’t recommend to anyone, but is one i’ll think about for a while.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment

Moderate: Murder and Alcoholism

Minor: Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, and Vomit

wthames's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad 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 book drops you straight into child murder BUT immediately and deliberately sets a tone of empathetic closeness that is, at first, deeply unsettling. Shocking things happen. But never for shock-value. You are forced to examine all facets of Chrissie's mind, upbringing, and character. No conclusions are drawn easily, and it can be darkly enthralling to sink into the rhythm's of her twisted alternate-logic and deeeeply skewed sense of the world. You won't be asked to forgive the unforgivable, but you may come away from this read with a level of empathy and understanding you didn't know you could give. Surprisingly emotional. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child death, and Child abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism and Abandonment

megan_bbender's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

5.0

Before anything else, I cannot believe that this book was Nancy Tucker's first fiction novel. The writing was flawless, it always flowed so well. I was always so intrigued and wondered what could happen next. There was never a dull moment and I was always on the edge of my seat. This book was always on my mind while I was reading it, I never wanted to put it down. 

Chrissie is absolutely terrifying inside and out. She's nightmare-fuelling, even as an adult. I always felt tense when Chrissie was doing something, like an accident just waiting to happen all of the time. It's hard to see a young child as scary or as a villain, Nancy Tucker created an amazing portrayal of young evil. 

This book loves to toys with your emotions and morals, I found myself warming up to Chrissie towards the end which disturbed me just as much as the book. 

I one hundred percent recommend this book to anyone who is considering reading it and I will definitely be keeping up with Nancy Tucker and her other books. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, Child death, and Death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Addiction, Blood, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal death and Infertility