Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Bully by Penelope Douglas

10 reviews

elliott_the_clementine's review against another edition

tense fast-paced

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

2.0

This book is objectively not good, and the romance is quite problematic. That being said, Bully is highly entertaining read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism and Toxic friendship

Minor: Drug abuse and Pedophilia

moodreadmoonchild's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-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

2.5

is this book all bad? no. but like… it’s really not good. first and foremost, i really think there should be a trigger warning page or at least be listed at the bottom of the online book description. Also, it’s a high school romance with detailed spice so that in-of-itself was kind of an ick for me and im an avid smut reader. 

so to problems with the actual characters/story. starting off with the petty: there are so many music references that really didn’t age well and just gave such hard cringe. the “not like other girls” vibes are soooo strong. meanwhile the FMC’s bestie is objectively a shitty friend. the redemption arc for both the MMC (and his best friend) are lacking to say the least. the MMC feels so entitled to forgiveness when he gives not even the barest of crumbs to earn it. i mean the bar is in hell and he still couldn’t reach it with a 20 ft ladder. it’s just really. it good. i’ve read books where the MMC straight up tortures the FMC and i still thought his redemption arc was more earned than this. just. i don’t recommend… like at all. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Bullying, Violence, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, and Child abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Addiction, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Drug abuse

eloiseslibrary's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Drug abuse and Sexual harassment

fr4n_m's review against another edition

challenging 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? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Bullying, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Infidelity, and Cancer

risse's review against another edition

dark emotional lighthearted mysterious medium-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? Yes

3.0

This is the first book I've read from Penelope, and this book saved me from reading slump. 

What I like: 

• - childhood friends to enemies to lovers
• - it's full of angst! 
• - secret pining
• - prolly one of the most likable female lead I ever read this year. Why? Oh, gosh, she can fight back to Jared's bullying. And the part where she chose to be vulnerable through her monologue? It was so good. 
• - steamy scenes. 

What I didn't like: 

• - romanticized bullying. I like this story, but (for me) severe bullying is not good, or hot. It should never be romanticized. 
• - Jared's reason. You can say it's valid, but—I DIDN'T GET IT. It's hard for me to sink that down in my mind. 
• - the scandal. Oh. My. Fucking. Gosh. It was utterly unnessescary, and how fast Tate forgive Jared?! It was a big nu-uh. 

Overall, I still liked this one. I'm excited to read the 1.5 book of this is Jared's POV! <3 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Child abuse

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Death of parent, and Drug use

karambit's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective slow-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

0.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Cursing, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Infidelity, and Sexual assault

Minor: Lesbophobia, Pedophilia, Rape, Vomit, Drug abuse, and Drug use

kirkland433's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

3.25

So I've finally started Douglas's first series, and I got to say that I can tell that it's very early on writing for her. Not in a bad way at all, but I now see where she started and how she got to the Devil's Night series that I inhaled earlier this year. This book had almost everything that does it for me in a romance novel, especially a bully romance, but there were still times were I was like "meh didn't love that."

Tate for the most part is likeable. I enjoyed her growth in standing up for herself but there were time when I didn't get the choices she was making. Her and K.C.s relationship was also very strange to me, when K.C. decided that being with her best friends tormenter made sense. I don't think I would still be friends with someone who made that choice. No thank you. Favorite moment though? Tate absolutely trashing Jared's car. 

Jared is the epitome of douche popular boy, who apparently as a very decent guy to everyone but the girl he loves. He definitely has his mental moments that make no sense but he is also a survivor of abuse so I guess that goes hand in hand. The only thing I didn't LOVE about him is his whole personality flip. He was so mean SO MEAN to Tate for like 70% of this book and then once feeling were confessed he became the sweetest of the sweet. I miss his cockiness. 

Anyways, Penelope Douglas can do know wrong for me. I finished this book in a day and there's no way I'm not starting the next immediately. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Drug abuse

Minor: Rape

emjayesunga's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Drug abuse

stephanieclarex's review against another edition

emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Violence, Sexual content, Rape, Physical abuse, Grief, Death of parent, Bullying, and Alcohol

Minor: Vomit, Drug use, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Blood

Some scenes with non-consensual touches and mentions of r*pe. Someone says the D slur.

nickiethebookwyrm's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? No

3.0

Writing was a bit juvenile and the plot was a little flimsy. Cute read, though predictable. I found the characters hard to believe at the beginning and I didn't care about them much, but that got better as I kept reading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Blood, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, and Misogyny

Minor: Drug abuse, Gore, Rape, Sexism, and Vomit