Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

7 reviews

abicaro17's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-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

3.5

I have mixed feelings about this book. Generally, this book follows Vincent, a bartender with a drug addict brother and a fondness for filmmaking. After the disappearance of her mother when she was 12, Vincent looks for solid ground and finds it in Jonathan. Jonathan is a rich investment broker who proposes a deal in which Vincent acts as his wife and she gets to spend her time (and his money) as she likes. This book flips between childhood, her time with Jonathan, and her time after. The issues I had with this book mainly center on the multiple povs. This book contained at least 6 full chapters from other characters povs. Sometimes it was relevant like with Jonathan or her brother Paul but even so it was confusing. Also Emily tends to have strong sci-fi(ish) themes in her books and this one was weird but there wasn't much fantasy in this book. I just feel like this could have been stronger but it also could be because I adored Sea of Tranquility and this DOES NOT measure up. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

jdhauk's review against another edition

mysterious reflective sad 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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting

Moderate: Drug use, Grief, and Abandonment

Minor: Addiction

avasbookmark's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Mental illness, and Abandonment

itsheyfay's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

I had no idea this was connected to Sea of Tranquility, which I listened to last year, so it was neat to return to Vincent’s story.

Like her other works, Emily St John Mandel’s writing is lyrical and hypnotic, but unfortunately this could have used some editing, especially when dealing with the players involved in the Ponzi scheme.

I don’t regret reading it, but it could have been better.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Grief

Moderate: Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism

Minor: Domestic abuse

kcarney86's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Dementia

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

deebee223's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Suicide, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcohol

ladysanctuary's review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

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

3.5

Emily St. John Mandel is a genius of storytelling. Despite wildly different subject matter to Station Eleven the story still ropes you in in the same way, and dances expertly through time to weave intriguing tales around a wide cast of characters. However, I feel the subject matter means you always feel a bit let down by the mysteries as they're woven, and there are a few too many complex threads to follow easily. The audiobook version is well read and gripping throughout.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol