Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

42 reviews

mackenzie_reads's review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book is really quick to read and has lots of twists and turns along the way to keep you guessing. The “reveals” don’t come all at once. Several times I was shocked because I didn’t see it coming!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, and Gaslighting

readinghavoc's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.25

This book was such a letdown. The concept is so interesting but it takes ~250 pages for anything worthwhile to happen. I feel like the author relied heavily on cheap thrills and shock value (I'm still annoyed that the whole opening is spent setting the scene for a story we never get the rest of. It was fine? I passively enjoyed it? But I think it really wasted its potential. Unreliable narrators can be so fun, but this story felt like the goalposts were constantly moving (not a perfect metaphor, but it captures the feeling). The family being dead was a great shock, and I thought it would be the turning point that redeemed the story, but the constant twists after that just felt really cheap, and the writing on Ethan at the end was so unbelievable that it just took me out of the book entirely. This was 3.5 stars before that. I don't understand what I was meant to walk away from this story with. There was no genuine satisfaction. I wouldn't recommend reading it, it's really nothing special and there are much better books to spend your time on. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, and Car accident

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

hanpan01's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-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

4.75

i really didn’t wanna like this but gosh darn it was good. not giving it 5 stars out of principle.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Alcohol

meremesch's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Car accident, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Infidelity and Injury/Injury detail

mfrabbiele's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Stalking, Car accident, and Alcohol

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

h0lyfool's review

dark mysterious reflective tense 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

3.75

the beginning of the book was interesting but slower than i would have liked. 

it started getting more interesting as the story progressed and kept me wanting to know more.
the ending was surprising and looking back, there were definitely clues scattered throughout the book which is very smart.
dr. anna fox is an intriguing character and while it is sometimes hard to understand her, you ultimately find yourself sympathizing with and rooting for her. 
the unreliable first person narrator is a very clever device to keep the reader guessing what‘s real and what‘s not. 
in the end, an enjoyable book that could have been better in some ways. still recommend it.

And if I don‘t want to die, I‘ve got to start living.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Animal cruelty, Child death, Death, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Grief, Stalking, and Car accident

taelights's review against another edition

4.0

This book was way better than I had imagined going into it. The plot was very interesting and there were so many twists that I did not see coming. Anna did get on my nerves a bit but I also felt very bad for her throughout the book. But some of her actions really made me so annoyed at her. It was overall a very fun read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

tomato_bisque's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-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

I enjoyed the first half of the book more than the end.

It lost me in the last few chapters when it became a Primal Fear (1996) twist.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Car accident, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

Moderate: Child death, Death, Drug use, Sexism, Blood, Medical content, and Murder

Minor: Animal cruelty and Stalking

kbea88's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.25

I get like this dragged on for so many pages and although I started to predict the ending, it still surprised me a little. Not great, not terrible. I couldn’t not picture Evan Peters as Ethan toward the end, which ruined it for me a bit. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Child death

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I accidentally watched the movie first so the ending was somewhat spoiled for me, however, the book was still worth the read. It is action packed, devastating, and thrilling. Dr. Fox is a character you are desperate to love despite her flaws. The story in unique and disturbing. I had trouble putting this one down. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail