Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Return by Rachel Harrison

18 reviews

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.

---

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

traa's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Vomit, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship

Minor: Bullying, Racism, and Xenophobia

uhhlexiconic's review

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

The Return wonderfully balances horror with human grief and the right to move on.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Cannibalism, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cancer

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.

---

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

wrestleacademic's review

dark tense fast-paced

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

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Ableism and Racism

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.

---

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

sarahholliday's review

challenging dark mysterious 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

4.0

I've only recently realized how much I enjoy horror stories, and novels like The Return are a huge part of that. 

Harrison manages to make the fears and anxieties that plague all twenty-something women--evolving friendships, the search for identity, financial insecurity--into tangible, terrifying horrors. 

I would have loved to catch more glimpses of the girls' group dynamic before Julie disappeared, and I wish there had been more explanation regarding the strange incidents at the hotel, but overall I thoroughly enjoyed this feminist horror and will be recommending it to anyone looking for a good jump scare!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Car accident, Murder, and Alcohol

lilifane's review

challenging dark hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.0

It was okay. 
I liked some aspects of the book a lot. Like the friendship dynamics, I enjoyed those a lot. And I liked the protagonist, she reminded me of myself. But I didn't enjoy the reading process. I was surprised by the direction the book took halfway into it because I didn't expect the horror element. But once it was hinted at, the rest of the story was way too predictable. And way too gory for my taste. At least I liked the ending. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Infidelity, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol