Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

If He Had Been with Me by Laura Nowlin

172 reviews

somnolentflower's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Moderate: Death, Eating disorder, Grief, and Car accident

Minor: Bullying

dfram's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-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

4.25

the ending felt rushed, i enjoyed the build up on the story! i thought i’d cry and really i saw the ending coming, i just wasn’t expecting to happen the way it did.

this book gives a whole new meaning to “last good day”

the characters were relatively likable, except Jamie! i wish everyone’s parents were more present??? anyway, it’s just a book, it just felt like it wasn’t realistic at times

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Car accident, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Eating disorder and Sexual assault

graciegru's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Sexual assault and Abortion

spatterson7's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Car accident, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail

emnah10's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

2.0

Personally this book wasn't my taste, it felt rushed in the end and overall very convenient. The ending wasn't good at all, I had a little more expectations. I liked the beginning of the book, because it explained very easily the feelings and relationships a young girl goes through, something a lot of us can relate to.

But the ending kinda ruined it all for me. I had higher expectations because of the way everyone had hyped it up and when that wasn't met. 

I still liked this book for the most part and this could probably be a good book for people who like endings like that. And when I say the ending disappointed me, I'm not talking about the fact that the thing everyone knew was going to happen did. But at how weak and defeated autumn was represented in the ending. It felt as if all her progress to becoming someone else had simply vanished. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

reemoony's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective 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? Yes

4.5

im clawing at my hair and biting my pillow please read this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

sisa78's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Vomit, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

kotashomelibrary's review against another edition

emotional sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Alcohol

Moderate: Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, Suicide attempt, and Pregnancy

Minor: Vomit

cschaepe84's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

 

Wow. Just. Wow. So many thoughts about this book, a tale of unrequited love.
But this is a very tragic love story in more than one way. Finny and Autumn have loved each other for most of their lives, and for a while it seemed like they would be destined for the perfect future together...until a misunderstanding occurred when they were thirteen after an unwarranted kiss from Finny left Autumn feeling confused and scared. Since then, they have only watched each other from afar, loving and yet loathing at the same time, with so much left unsaid between them. Throughout the course of the story, we see events unravel, until they finally are able to talk about everything they have been feeling all these years and are able to claim the future they should have had along. Until tragedy rips them apart that fateful night.
The writing feels a bit fragmented, and the story is told scene by scene, which can for a while feel like a string of unrelated events, but this is intentional, and helps you get inside Autumn's head and thought process, as well as see how she interacts around others. Trust me, the events gradually build up, and you can see where the story is going. Even though we don't have Finny's POV, I can read the tension and angst Finny feels for Autumn, and I can understand the conflicting emotions Autumn has for Finny.
Autumn at time is unlikeable. At times she is selfish, insensitive to others, and expects other people to cater to her whim and feels like everything is about her. Also at times has an air of superiority. But, I can also understand her, and I think this captures the insecurity and the highs and lows of growing up. She also has many moments of self-awareness that she can and does have these flaws, and I like how the other characters point this out. It makes Autumn very real and very, very vulnerable in this sense.
Even though I knew this was going to end tragically, as was foreshadowed in the beginning, the emotional impact wasn't any less shocking, and I could feel Autumn's grief, but also, the sliver of her hope. A very intense, emotional read, that is also so easy to fall into as you take the journey with Autumn.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and Alcohol

Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Car accident, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Pregnancy

aralynn's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Car accident, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Minor: Vomit