Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Brave New World by Aldous Huxley

112 reviews

mayze's review against another edition

challenging dark informative mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Infertility, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Dementia, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Colonisation, Dysphoria, Classism, and Deportation

Minor: Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Toxic friendship

sarahgmo's review against another edition

lighthearted reflective slow-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

3.0

I know I’m “supposed to” like this book. It’s in one of my favourite genres and a classic likened to 1984, and maybe it’s just because I was itching to read another book while reading this one, but it didn’t quite rapture me like I expected. I liked where it was going and the theme, but the writing style seemed to me to drag on. Maybe I like the idea, but would have preferred a different narrative style. Or maybe it was just bad timing.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use and Classism

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Body shaming, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

e_l_k's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

The fact that so many people reduce this book to "drugs make people happy" is a disservice to the eerie prescience Huxley demonstrated in this book (even if parts were heavily inspired by previous writers). The social commentary in 'Brave New World' is so layered and ahead of its time, I'm half-convinced Huxley was a time traveler. (Perhaps it was the psychoactive drugs...) However, I am glad I never had to read this in high school; the prose is varied and active to a point of potentially introducing confusion from its formatting alone. If you're concerned, I highly recommend trying the audiobook version, as it helps clarify some moments where the speaking character may not be clear. The final few chapters in particular were my favorites, as the World Controller breaks down the core philosophies and debates present in the book, which serves to not only elucidate the subtext of the rest of the story but to present tantalizing food for thought that stuck with me long after finishing. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use and Racism

Minor: Sexual content and Violence

ella_elizabeth66's review against another edition

reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use and Self harm

Moderate: Death and Suicide

mahamsiddiqui's review against another edition

dark reflective fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Rape

mcmeiss's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body shaming, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infertility, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, Terminal illness, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Classism

paronomaniac's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

2.5

Well, this is a book that I have read.

There are 18 chapters. Chapters 16 and 17 pretty much tell the story. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Self harm, and Sexual content

Minor: Suicide

growintogardens's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

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

2.0

Well... that was something. It's an interesting premise, but I didn't like it or think it was a particularly good book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Colonisation, and Classism

Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Medical content, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

ellwell's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Infertility, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation

jennswan's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Drug use, Fatphobia, Self harm, Suicide, Grief, and Classism