Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

The Return by Rachel Harrison

6 reviews

jillaay_h's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

hazelgirl21's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Minor: Addiction and Drug use

slimepuppy's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.5

Oh, this one was a gut punch, simultaneously scary and so, so sad. The definitive "sometimes dead is better" book.

The body horror is genuinely disgusting and disturbing, and I'm not someone who is usually fazed by it. The beginning of the book builds such an oppressive atmosphere, you can't help but start to feel like Elise's growing paranoia is spreading to you, too.

The characters are complex, multidimensional and flawed while still retaining enough of a charm that shows why they're friends.

My only complaint really is the very ending of the book - I wish we got more of an exploration of everyone's feelings and a real conversation between the characters instead of them simply acknowledging that they do, in fact, have feelings - it doesn't really seem like things changed between the girls, even if they say it did.

Also wtf did the authorities do about the hotel L O L ?????? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood, and Grief

Moderate: Addiction, Cancer, Eating disorder, Gore, Vomit, Death of parent, and Alcohol

monstersinspace's review

dark mysterious sad slow-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

3.0

Spoilers: The story sorta meandered around a bit and only really picked up like 75% through the book. It was like the author wanted to write both a coming of age story about out growing friendships and how life changes, but hey also this girl might be a demon. It was well written and I liked the characters I just think some of it got lost in the interpersonal relationships which isn't necessaryly a bad thing, but I went in expecting a horror book and I'm not sure if it fully delivered on that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol

smahlcat's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

3.0

I liked the friendships in this book. It felt like a group of close women who hadn’t seen each other in a long time but didn’t need to see each other to remain best friends. One of my biggest problems was the wasted potential of the setting. There were so many cool things that could’ve happened in the messily assembled themed hotel. But there was nothing. Not a thing. The story could’ve been transplanted anywhere and it would’ve stayed the same. Also, Elise’s major character flaw point was a personal NopeTrope of mine, but that’s my problem, not a problem of the book’s.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Death, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Stalking, and Alcohol

Minor: Addiction and Cancer

student/teacher relationship

f18's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.0

I should have really enjoyed this but the last-act infodump really drug it down for me and everything after had zero tension or intrigue.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Eating disorder, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Infidelity, Vomit, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Addiction, Sexual content, Grief, and Car accident

teacher/student relationship, a LOT of tooth trauma