Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

The Postcard by Anne Berest

11 reviews

kerri_m's review against another edition

5.0

I've read many books about the catastrophe, and this is one of the best.

It's a story about identity, survival, memory, responsibility, hope. It's about telling their story. It's about not looking away (even when the telling makes you shake and feel sick). 

While many of the details may have been imagined and the research process likely went in a slightly different order, it's miraculous that the Rabinoviches got as much information as they did. We will never hear countless stories of other lives that were stolen.

Reading it now, in 2024, feels like a call to action.

Indifference is universal. Who are you indifferent toward today, right now? Ask yourself that. Which victims living in tents, or under overpasses, or in camps way outside the cities are your ‘invisible ones’? The Vichy regime set out to remove the Jews from French society. And they succeeded.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Deportation, Violence, War, Grief, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Hate crime, Antisemitism, Child death, Gun violence, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual assault, Abandonment, Body horror, Addiction, Suicide, Drug abuse, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders

knit_the_resistance's review

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

The Postcard is an extremely difficult book to read, as are most books about the Holocaust. It's dark, and sad. But it's also a complex family history, and a mystery. I enjoyed it, and I was upset by it. I recommend it as an analog book rather than a digital copy so you can go back and forth and check on who different characters are. 
Also, there are sections you shouldn't read before bedtime.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Dementia, Addiction, Rape, Drug abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Antisemitism, Child death, Confinement, Death, Deportation, Genocide, and Grief

jsprenk's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

A beautifully written story of a woman and her mother’s quest to learn about their family, four of whom died in the holocaust … with a modern-day mystery story underneath it all. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Violence, Torture, and Racism

Moderate: Drug abuse and Drug use

Minor: Suicide

aislinglucy's review

challenging dark emotional informative slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Deportation, Abandonment, Drug use, Antisemitism, Drug abuse, Death, Dementia, and Genocide

mishasbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Drug use, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Deportation, Drug abuse, Hate crime, Suicide attempt, Violence, War, Child abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Abandonment, Addiction, Antisemitism, Dementia, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Gun violence, Rape, Suicide, Genocide, Self harm, Torture, and Trafficking

ecidnac's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Deportation, Genocide, Antisemitism, Death, and War

Minor: Suicide, Drug abuse, and Sexual content

majestictrilobite's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Drug use, Dementia, Genocide, Xenophobia, Suicide, Drug abuse, Addiction, Death, and Antisemitism

dnpatterson2's review

dark hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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: Religious bigotry, Police brutality, Death, Racism, Antisemitism, Genocide, Grief, Physical abuse, War, Violence, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Torture, Bullying, Addiction, Child death, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Infertility, Classism, Dementia, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

lcg527's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Antisemitism, War, Genocide, Deportation, Death of parent, Drug use, and Death

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, and Suicide

estam1's review

emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Child death, Death, Deportation, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Genocide, and Confinement