Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe

4 reviews

kassidyreads's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

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alli_the_bookaholic13's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

Thank you to the publisher for sending me an eARC for an honest review. 

I enjoyed reading this one, but I finished it maybe 15-20 mins ago and I’m already forgetting what happened. It was a good and enjoyable read, but I did find it a bit predictable at times.
I liked the author’s writing style, and I found it easy to follow. I thought the pacing was good, and there were some very exciting moments. I liked the idea of the magic, and how it was written. I read The Tempest years ago, but it was pretty clear that the story was inspired by the play. 
The characters were interesting. Mae was likeable enough, but she was a bit annoying at times. I liked Ivo and I wish we’d gotten to know him better. Miles was okay, and I didn’t really like Coco, Apollonia, or Alasdair. I thought the characters were distinct, and the author did a good job writing them. 
Overall it was an easy to read and entertaining story with magic and secrets.
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allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition

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

2.0

This ya fantasy standalone shows us 1920s wealthy family intrigue through the eyes of a girl on the periphery. The orphaned Mae is largely ignored by the Prospers even though she has been permitted to live on their magical island since her father died in childhood. Terrified that they will send her away from the only home she's ever known, she has trouble saying no to even their most high-handed demands, including an unwelcome engagement to the eldest grandchild of the patriarch (cue uncomfy age gap: 18-year-old girl meets 25-year-old boy ew). Ivo is the family heir, responsible for harnessing the island's magic through the labor of spirits, thus perpetuating the family's vast wealth. Unfortunately, Ivo's been pining for Mae while she's been obsessing over his cousin Milo, so no one is on the same page here. Mae feels unseen and cornered, panicking about a future outside her control as well as a mysterious and believed impossible malady striking the island spirits. 
While I know the story intended to show the dark side of this family and their relationships, I struggled with the fact that even the ones meant to walk on a slightly lighter shade of the morally grey spectrum still felt sticky and toxic to me. Mae's gaslit by her best friend about some seriously traumatic experiences, belittled by one romantic interest and controlled by another, and generally insulted and managed by everyone. I don't think it's necessarily bad to have Mae learn to protect herself more and gain confidence despite these putdowns. However, her path descends into bitterness, revenge, and schemes as if her past role as mediator and dreamer is as embarrassing as her tormenters would have her believe. Essentially, I didn't mind the growth or loss of innocence but didn't feel like she retained some of her initial strengths after remaking herself. 
Also, I didn't care for the ending, to be honest. It's a bit open (not, I believe, for a sequel, but for drama). It's also a sort of stilted ending for some of the relationships rather than a smooth or powerful conclusion that might have felt more meaningful. I only felt irritation towards Mae's final moments with each Prosper. 
I think readers who enjoy morally grey characters, vicious drama, and dark magic will enjoy this more than I did. Thanks to Wednesday for my copy to read and review. 
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abookandchai's review against another edition

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lighthearted 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? No

2.0

i don't know what to think of the book really. the concept is cool, i liked the pacing, the mysterious vibes were nice to read about but i really wished there was more the island setting which sounded beautiful. the characters fell super flat for me which was why i couldn't be as invested in the plot as much as i wanted to. i didn't care about them at all(though ivo intrigued me) and they were lowkey annoying. didn't care about the romance either. so, no thoughts head empty, an ambitious concept but could've been better.

thank you to wedneseday books and netgalley for the arc!
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