Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Beartown by Fredrik Backman

22 reviews

dragondelibros's review

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing

Moderate: Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, and Bullying

meeklovestoread's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

Okay, so when reading this I'm not gonna lie it's very slow in the beginning. And I even had the thought of dnf-ing because I was starting school and didn't have the time to stick through a book, but the concept was still intriguing to me and I loved "A Man Called Ove" so I stuck around for the author as well. Oh my goodness! I'm soooooo glad I dud! This book was phenomenal. But I feel like you have to like the way it was written to enjoy the story. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Bullying, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Grief, and Homophobia

Moderate: Sexism, Rape, Sexual assault, Classism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Vomit

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Lesbophobia, and Violence

itshrewsbury's review

emotional reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Backman is an underrated writer; the way he writes characters, it’s clear he understands the inner workings of the human mind, why we do what we do, even if it makes no sense on the outside. 
His writing style reminds me a lot of Ellen Hopkins, where there’s an ambiguous chapter opener that connects the threads of the story together. 
Backman is also king of “both side”-ism, which is frustrating when the climactic event of the book is a rape, but overall makes for a great story.
It makes me curious if there’s any scientific studies on the mental and emotional trauma children in sports suffer, particularly in areas where sports are the end all be all of the community

18+

TW/CW: Drug use (marijuana) and addiction (alcohol), child abuse, hazing, transphobic comments, homophobia, rape, PTSD, racism, gang violence 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Rape, and Racism

Moderate: Drug use, Child abuse, Transphobia, and Homophobia

roemfr's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Classism, Death of parent, Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Hate crime, Self harm, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, and Violence

clarrotttt's review

dark emotional tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

This book has something for everyone. Something for teenagers, parents, and everyone in between. I am usually staunchly against second-person present-tense writing, but it is clearly an intentional choice on Backman's part and only serves to enhance the tension and mood of the book. As a writer, I tend to read books with a critical eye, but I had very little to criticize about Beartown. I found myself fully immersed in the world, not being suddenly thrust out by flaws in the way the book is written. A very good story that is very well written.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Rape, Vomit, and Sexual content

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, and Self harm

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Death of parent

ambi_reads's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective 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? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Grief

chamaeleontis's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Violence, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Medical content, Drug use, Rape, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Death, Sexism, Terminal illness, Blood, Cursing, Bullying, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, Cancer, Child abuse, and Child death

Minor: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Self harm, Body shaming, Cursing, and Gun violence

alexxrose's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

An absolute must-read for those who grew up in and around sports culture. Backman pulls no punches as he examines the complex relationships we have to our hometown heroes and the realities of placing such reverence on regular people, especially children. 
The narrative style focuses mostly on telling the reader and gets to the showing afterwards, but this stylistic choice works very well for the kind of story being told. There is only one chapter I can think of that does not feel completely necessary to the story but it's not intrusive enough to knock off any stars. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Suicide and Violence

Minor: Alcoholism and Drug abuse

Rape is the catalyst for the plot. The actual act is not described in great detail, however there are haunting descriptions of what details the victim will remember for the rest of her life.

cheezyreads's review against another edition

5.0

Trigger Warnings are needed for this book.....
Rape, violence, drugs, alcohol!

This book.... It hit me in the feels so many times, I wasn't sure about wanting to read it as it's a hockey town but holy hell this book. Def needs a ton of trigger warnings but damn I actually love this book!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Alcohol, Violence, Rape, and Sexual violence

beccic's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective tense 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Bullying

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Racism, Racial slurs, and Homophobia