Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Contacto de Emergencia by Mary H.K. Choi

72 reviews

chloek608's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

3.0

I recommend this book if you like: 
-YA college romance 
-slow burn 
-Normal People by Sally Rooney 
 

This story switches between the two characters Penny and Sam. I was annoyed however that it isn’t written in first person. This is a very much character based plot and very little happens across the 400 pages. Although we do get to know the characters a lot and dive deep into their issues and lives. 
 

Penny and Sam are unlikely friends who become each other’s emergency contact. Someone they text, vent to, open up to without feeling self conscious. 

Penny has just started college and Sam works at a coffee shop and lives in the back as his mum is reckless with money. 

Sam had a pregnancy scare with his ex-girlfriend. At the very end of the story, Penny and Sam finally get together. I wish this would have been written into the story earlier as it feels like the ending is only the beginning.

 

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Abandonment

Moderate: Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Pregnancy

mels_reading_log's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted fast-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

4.0

I love an angst filled friends to lovers novel and this book perfectly scratched that itch. The main characters are two total weirdos who bond through texts after they realize neither one of them has anyone to rely on in an emergency situation. The only thing I didn’t like about this book is the ending. I wanted it to keep going a few more chapters.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Addiction, Pregnancy, and Mental illness

kjmarino's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism and Rape

galliexyc's review against another edition

funny sad fast-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Sexual assault, Fatphobia, Abortion, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Racism, Eating disorder, and Rape

Minor: Sexual content

jaylee_books's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted relaxing medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, and Rape

Minor: Alcohol, Racism, and Alcoholism

danajoy's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Moderate: Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Rape, Toxic relationship, Addiction, and Alcohol

Minor: Abortion and Eating disorder

raegoetz's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Sexual assault

carefulfearanddeaddevotion's review against another edition

lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

3.75

Would have been a 5 if the main character wasn’t insufferable 75% of the time. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism and Rape

Minor: Domestic abuse

lisa_m's review against another edition

challenging dark funny hopeful tense fast-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

4.5

I really enjoyed this book. I thought I was going to give it 5 stars and I probably would have if it had been a few chapters longer. I did not like the ending.

They didn't even speak their feelings, it was just implied. And for the whole book revolving about those too figuring out their lifes and emotions it's quite frustrating to not actually do that with their feelings towards each other.

But other than that I thought the book was really good. I maybe should have read some trigger warnings first because I was quite shocked when the rape scene happened. I did not expect it at all. It wasn't exploitative but in enough detail to make me uncomfortable.

There are definitely some darker themes and important topics but I think they were handled in a great way.

I really enjoyed that Penny wrote a story that we also got to read. I thought it was really good and interesting and I always like 'books' in books and that type of thing.

I might reread this and give it 5 stars in a few years. Who knows.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Addiction, Classism, Deportation, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Medical content, Pregnancy, Rape, Racial slurs, and Toxic relationship

optionalobjectives's review against another edition

emotional fast-paced

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

2.5

There are some good qualities here in occasional flashes of the Texas setting, and the dialog could be worse. I do think that Choi does well in capturing some youthful naiveté in just about every character in the book. But the story beats are so regular as to be distracting, big issues are tossed in too lightly for purposes of plot or character development without being pursued, and ultimately, the scenes feel under-described rather than intimate. At least it's a breezy read - nothing challenging here, just a window into the lives of a college-age cast.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Child death and Racism