Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Boys Don't Cry by Fíona Scarlett

12 reviews

meeklovestoread's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.5

I really wanted to like this book, especially considering how alluring the title was. Speaking of the title, I'd like to state that this title is quite misleading on what this book was about. Initially, I thought this book was going to explore the depths of how toxic masculinity affects the youth and how its conditioning has shaped previous generations. Although the author does displays events that depict toxic masculinity she never dives into how those principles and actions affect the main characters at all. Putting the misleading title aside, this book was actually a story about how gang culture shaped a family and its community as well as depicting the battles one faces when faced with a terminal illness.

I understand how many found this story emotional and a phenomenal piece on Dublin and the effects of gang culture and how classism plays a role. However, I felt like the issues this book was tackling were very surface-level. Joe didn't seem like a flushed-out enough character in my opinion and I don't we got enough insight into his grieving for his brother. Also, I was expecting more emotional interactions with the two brothers considering the blurb portrayed them to be very close. 

I'd also like to point out that I'm not familiar with Dublin culture so many of the phrases used were very unfamiliar to me and I just didn't vibe with the way that this book was written. And the ending of this book felt very underwhelming and inconclusive

What happened to his dad? Also, I'm confused about the shooting. Did he shoot his friend?

  I was very confused throughout a few parts of this book. Overall, the book just felt pretty surface-level and just didn't live up to what its potential in my opinion.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Cursing, Violence, Gun violence, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Classism, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, and Domestic abuse

pkc's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad fast-paced

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

4.0

Achingly sad, but hopeful. A really gorgeous example of Irish literature: spare, taut and bruising. I absolutely loved it. Didn’t like feeling like I was asked to have sympathy for certain characters and it wrapped VERY quickly.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, and Cursing

frankieclc's review against another edition

5.0

boys don’t cry but frankie does

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Grief, Child death, Terminal illness, and Cancer

Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Sexual harassment

lotties_booked's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Violence, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, and Terminal illness

Minor: Sexual harassment and Gun violence

rachelg's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Blood, and Medical content

aquaria127's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Murder, Sexual harassment, Addiction, Medical content, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, and Violence

ashleighvdk's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Cancer, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, and Medical content

Minor: Murder, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, and Gaslighting

bookswithgeorgia's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Alcoholism, Grief, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Child death, Cancer, and Drug use

bookswithhan's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, and Drug use

travelseatsreads's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

Boys Don't Cry is the stunning debut novel from Fiona Scarlett. It tells the story of Joe and Finn, two young brothers living in the flats in inner city Dublin and follows their struggles as they learn to live with a father who is heavily involved in the local crime gang, a mother who is trying to hold it all together and a shocking cancer diagnosis that has devastating effects.

This heartbreakingly beautiful and tender story is told with alternating chapters from each of the boys perspectives. This was so affective as it allows the reader to see the varied themes (poverty, crime, domestic violence, cancer & grief) through each of the boys eyes.

The writing is tender yet captivating. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down and had to finish it in one sitting. Fiona beautifully portrays the unbreakable bond between Joe and Finn and just how besotted they are with each other.

I also really enjoyed the female characters within this book, each one appeared to be trying to cope with the hand they had been dealt and made often hard choices to try to better themselves and those around them.

This is a gorgeous story, brimming with equal amounts of love and sorrow that will stay with me for a long time to come. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, and Violence