Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The People We Keep by Allison Larkin

22 reviews

jscoot22's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault

snipinfool's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

4.5

Sixteen-year-old April Sawicki learned she had to look out for herself. Her father left her to go live with his girlfriend and their new baby. She had been alone in a motorless motorhome for some time. April was failing school and often cut classes or missed altogether to pick up shifts at the local diner, Margo’s. Margo was like a mother to her since her mother left when April was young. April’s prized possession was the guitar her father gave her on her last birthday. She spent as much time as she could writing songs and creating music. April decided to try singing at a local open mic night at the Blue Moon Café. She sang her heart out and the crowd loved her songs. After a fight with her father, April felt it was time to leave and find her own way. Her father had broken her guitar during the fight, but she hoped she could find a way to use her talent to make a living. The story followed April as she found friends who became family, found the courage and strength to forge her way alone, and found a life she never imagined.

This was such an interesting story. One could not help but feel for April. Her childhood was difficult. I could not imagine striking out alone at sixteen, but she kept going to get the life she wanted. Along the way, she met people who taught her to love and others who reminded her to be distrustful. I loved that she remained in contact with Margo. Margo was such a wonderful character. Even though April didn’t stay in one place very long before she moved on again, each person she connected with left a little piece behind in her. I loved meeting April and reading her story.

Content warning: April’s father was emotionally and physically abusive. April was also sexually assaulted while out on the road as well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, and Toxic relationship

erinwolf1997's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Death of parent and Sexual assault

Minor: Drug use and Homophobia

bexi's review

emotional reflective sad medium-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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, and Pedophilia

Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Alcoholism, and Death of parent

chelle22's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective slow-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Grief, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

kelly_e's review against another edition

adventurous reflective slow-paced

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

2.75

Title: The People We Keep
Author: Allison Larkin
Genre: Fiction
Rating: 2.75
Pub Date: August 3, 2021

T H R E E • W O R D S

Slow • Nostalgic • Repetitive

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Abandoned by her mother as a child, April is living in a run-down motorhome her father won as part of a bet, and picking up shifts at the local diner. Her father who is rarely ever home, prefers to spend time with his girlfriend and her child. To make matters worse, April's failing at school and barely scraping by. Sick of it all and with dreams of pursuing her music, she steals a car and leaves Little River behind.

💭 T H O U G H T S

After seeing several glowing reviews and reading the synopsis, I was convinced The People We Keep would be a book I'd love. Unfortunately, I was wrong (it happens).

What I like:
• part one. It started out so strong. I was intrigued. I was engaged. I wanted to keep reading.
• the singer/songwriter aspect. I wish there'd have been a bigger focus on this element.
• the secondary characters. April meets some wonderful and endearing people along the way.
• the audio narration. It's Julia Whelan. Enough said.

What I didn't like:
• part two on. After starting with so much potential, it really lost it's footing as I progressed and my attention waned considerably.
• the pacing. It felt longer than it actually was. And yet, the entire story spans only four years of April's life, and I wanted felt as though it should have been longer.
• the repetitive nature of April's behaviour. The same thing happens over and over again. April's behaviour felt like a broken record, making the narrative highly predictable and giving it YA vibes. Honestly, it didn't feel like she grew all that much from start to finish.
• the sexual encounters. The story didn't need this and would likely have been better without.
• the redemptive power of motherhood. It all just felt so unrealistic and cliché.
• entering a relationship under false pretenses. Just. A. Hard. No.

In summary, The People We Keep had so many of the elements I love in a character-driven story, but it just ended up not working. I definitely understand why this book is so beloved by many readers, it was just not the right fit for me.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• fans of the found family trope
• readers who like character-driven narratives

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"I wonder if maybe all you do is meet people and lose them and your smile fades the further you go because you have to carry the space they leave. Maybe it just all turns into old pictures on a bookshelf, engraved rings, memories of sticking stars to a ceiling, and maybe the space gets bigger and heavier every year."

"I want to believe there will still be newness in the world for me. That it's not all faded and dusty." 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Death, Sexual assault, Drug use, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Child abuse

child neglect

theoceanrose's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Minor: Death of parent and Drug use

killeenm's review

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

I was so disappointed in this book. The whole story is the main character hurting people and not changing. The dialogue is not believable, several problematic storylines aren’t ever addressed in depth. I wanted this book to be about found family, but it’s mostly about mistreating people and making the same mistakes repeatedly. There’s not really a character arc. I was not a fan and frankly feel a little baffled as to why this is so well recommended. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Sexual assault, Drug use, and Homophobia

theonlybaillie's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Child abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Death of parent, Drug use, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Cursing, Dementia, Injury/Injury detail, and Rape

gabgeh's review against another edition

sad medium-paced

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

1.5

I would not recommend this book if high-quality writing is a priority for you. A somewhat cute, sad, self-insert story with very few character motivators and very little plot development. Tolerable only because I was reading it for a book club and would be able to trash-talk it after reading it. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Death of parent, Dementia, and Drug use