Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The Arsonists' City by Hala Alyan

17 reviews

vegronica's review

emotional medium-paced

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

4.75

I think a lot of what I love about this is Leila Buck's narration in the audiobook. I wouldn't re-read it but I was hooked the whole time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Blood, Violence, Sexual harassment, Hate crime, Homophobia, Drug use, Infidelity, Grief, Abortion, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Alcohol, and Dementia

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: War and Islamophobia

jillaay_h's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Abortion, Alcoholism, Medical content, War, Xenophobia, Blood, Death, Drug use, Grief, Murder, Racism, and Dementia

amberinpieces's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail and Hate crime

Moderate: Classism, Dementia, Pregnancy, Racism, Vomit, Violence, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Sexual content, Alcohol, Death, and Grief

Minor: War, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Racial slurs, Car accident, Abortion, Blood, Cursing, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Murder, and Toxic relationship

katharina90's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

A multigenerational drama largely centered around family secrets and dysfunctional dynamics. 

The characters are beautifully complex, sometimes loveable, sometimes infuriating. As with Salt Houses, I found myself much more invested in the lives of the older generation. 

At times, the pacing was slower than I would have liked but pushing through those parts was well worth it. 

The one thing I really didn't care for was the amount of infidelity. It felt repetitive for almost every character to either cheat or be cheated on, or both.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Physical abuse, Abortion, Grief, Murder, Drug use, Sexual assault, Racism, Infidelity, and Homophobia

Minor: Classism, Death of parent, and Fatphobia

kirstym25's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Infidelity, and Drug use

Moderate: Abortion and War

maryannc's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, War, Grief, and Drug use

Minor: Abortion, Racism, Sexual content, Vomit, Alcohol, Death of parent, and Racial slurs

rustedtrains's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, War, Colonisation, and Sexual content

Minor: Sexual assault and Drug use

12grace4's review

dark emotional slow-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use and Sexual content

bookreviewswithkb's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

5 ✨ it’s a favorite 

literary fiction, family saga

cw: abortion, drug use, grief, sexual assault

Hala Alyan is an incredible author - her writing is beautiful and captivating and deeply reflective. The Arsonists’ City is a messy family drama, but more than that, it’s about what happens to us when the life we dreamed is so far away and all we can do is try to make a life from what we have. 

Mazna, the mother of the centered family, is a character that will stay with me for a very long time. 

“…the way her heart constricted so tight, it never truly loosened again.” this is Mazna to me. the result of living her life trying to give something close to pleasantness or, satisfaction to those around her all the while giving up everything she ever wanted for herself. that resentment, that pent up anger, that lack of joy in her life might look like bitterness to the outsider. because the more secrets we have, the less room there is for peace. and without peace, without freedom… well we know what that looks like. and instead of saying how can we cultivate more peace for this person, we criticize her for not meeting our expectations

“People don’t need much of a reason to hate each other. We’re programmed to blame others for our unhappiness. And if your priest or imam or big brother tells you a whole group of people hates you, it’s not like you’re going to stop to ask them if it’s true.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion

Moderate: Drug use and Sexual assault

bodiesinbooks's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Alcohol, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, and Murder

Minor: Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Racism, Vomit, and War