Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Punk 57 by Penelope Douglas

95 reviews

samantha914's review

emotional mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Death, Drug abuse, and Alcohol

lanahla's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.25

This book was OKAY at most. maybe it’s not my type of novel but I really didn’t enjoy this as much as others who have reviewed or recommend Punk 57.

I went into this book completely blind and I guess I’m not that disappointed. I’m not sure what I was expecting but it wasn’t this. while I did enjoy SOME of the plot points some other aspects were not quite interesting to me… specifically the weird interactions between the main characters Ryen and Misha.

SPOILERS!!!
I really enjoyed Annie’s backstory and the fact she died at the start actually caught me so off guard and made for an interesting plot. however I wish I would’ve gotten to see more of her character, I feel like I really would’ve liked her if she would’ve been shown more. personally, I think some of the songs Misha and his band wrote were decent not to mention the writing/graphite of ‘Punk’ (Ryen) is also great. I know many other people who have read this book may totally disagree BUT Misha is a huge red flag. throughout Punk 57 I was annoyed by his reactions and the way he acted with Ryen. I do admit that at some parts he was a likable character but for most, if not all pages he was not at all one of my favorites. Ryen was okay, I understood her backstory more than I would’ve expected but besides that I don’t really see anything else about her. the other characters were nice and made for some interesting moments but that’s really it. I also really hated Misha’s reaction to Ryen during the first part of the book. I can describe it as just a huge ick that he literally stalked her, but each to their own some people enjoy reading this stuff. I also quite disliked the ending where we seen Ryen pregnant only a FEW MONTHS LATER. CRAZY. i also hated every second of the library scene and car. I read like two pages and skipped the chapter because that was the most awkward thing I’ve ever read. I have to give it SOME credit though, it did get me out of a reading slump and made me want to find a book better. nothing TOO special or outstanding happened and that’s why I’m rating it what it is.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia and Violence

Minor: Drug use and Drug abuse

mouwuol's review

medium-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Violence, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Cursing, Classism, Child death, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Hate crime, Grief, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Addiction, Blood, Alcohol, Bullying, Sexism, and Death

charliebites's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Bullying, and Abandonment

Moderate: Child death, Death, and Grief

Minor: Addiction, Body horror, Infidelity, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, and Blood

lancy's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

The book was good loved the character development but most sense made me tense up a bit or were to uncomfortable scene that made me realize how much I hated men but overall it was a Good book donnot recommend for kids under the age of 13 -15  ...yeath the scenes are too graphic 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Drug abuse, Stalking, Blood, Body shaming, Animal death, Hate crime, Medical trauma, Sexual harassment, Rape, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Slavery, and Suicidal thoughts

elderlyemo's review

dark emotional 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? Yes

3.5

This one had been on my TBR for a while and when I picked it up at the weekend I didn't expect to read it straight through in one sitting - but I did. 

This was one of the titles by the author that I knew relatively nothing about, but after reading and loving Birthday Girl around this time last year, I thought I'd give it a go and I wasn't disappointed. 

I loved that this was the first Penelope Douglas book that I had read that was two age appropriate people with great chemistry and a history, caught in a web of miscommunication and the flip of the weird kid with the lip ring taunting the cheerleader instead of the other way around was refreshing and made the seventeen year old version of me very excited. 

But I think, that was the problem. As a thirty something person now I just found the characters grating at times. The lyrics were awful, as were the stereotypes however inverted and the twist at the end was lukewarm at best. Misha dragged the charade on too long and sometimes I felt like Ryen wasn't quite as lovable as the book maybe wanted me to think she was. There were also a lot of side characters in this story that I didn't really care for, but there were some interesting themes and subplots as a result. 

The spice in this book was *10/10* and the characters genuinely had such great chemistry there were some moments where I completely forgot I was reading a book and yeah, if I am being honest - I really wanted them to end up together.

Overall, a pretty decent read. Same rating as Birthday Girl, and I'd probably reread it in the future. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Homophobia, Drug abuse, and Sexual harassment

I would also like to add another point, or more of a question that I have to ask out loud because it's been on my mind a while but - why do they always end up pregnant or with a kid at the end of PD books? Like is that the logical end point for all of these really traumatised people? Like boom you've got a baby ergo something to live for, you can leave all your worries behind? It's very weird to me and going into my third PD book I'm hoping there are some happily every afters that don't always end in reproduction.

_booksandbikes's review

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

It's a lovely coming of age story between the popular girl and the mysterious outcast. They are seniors in highschool and there is some spicy scenes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship and Sexual content

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Bullying, and Grief

Minor: Stalking and Drug abuse

Major SPOILERS ABOUT THE BOOK

drug abuse is VERY minor. Trey threatens Ryen with rape. The sexual scenes between the lead characters is spicy but not dark romance spicy. The bullying is very minor but there is a scene where Ryen goes into the bathroom to find another character bleeding and in tears from being physically bullied by Trey. He also admits to getting high by inhaling chemicals.

nineinchnails's review

adventurous emotional 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? Yes

4.0

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reread: 8/1/2024



i actually enjoyed this about as much as i did the first time i read it (possibly more because devil's night crumbs) but i just don't rate purely for enjoyment anymore. i stand by what i said in 2020 it's still really refreshing to have an objectively flawed heroine in this subgenre and while most of the other characters were very one dimensional, the main characters were still interesting and likeable! 


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first read: 27/12/2020



i actually really enjoyed this book it was hot n the pacing was really good!! ryen’s character was so refreshing it’s nice to read about a romance heroine having a flaw that isn’t ‘too nice’. also the actual premise was kinda unique! However it is a little cringy at some points especially the epilogue with him being a famous rockstar but i guess that comes with having the male lead be a musician

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Bullying, Toxic friendship, and Sexual content

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Grief, and Homophobia

Minor: Body shaming, Abandonment, and Addiction

bojangles76's review

emotional hopeful reflective medium-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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment

Minor: Child death and Drug abuse

jesshart8's review

tense medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Sexism, Death, Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship