Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Fecioarele by Alex Michaelides

85 reviews

thenovelbookshelf's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.75

A really great psychological thriller that uses mythology to heighten the suspense.
  
Group psychotherapist, Mariana, is pulled back into Cambridge University, where her neice Zoe is studying, and where, she herself and late husband met.
  
When one student dies, Mariana is quick to see connections that the police can't. To protect and help Zoe, she agrees to stay and ask questions, after all, asking never harmed anyone, right?
  
The dazzling Professor Fosca tops Mariana's list. His alibi's should rule him out after the second tragic student death, but both were in the Professor's secret study group and links him even more to the deaths.
  
Alex Michaelides draws you back into the world of psychotherapy, using Greek myths to disguise what's lurking in the shadows and culminates in a twist.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Alcohol, Child abuse, and Physical abuse

Minor: Drug use, Grief, Abandonment, Animal death, Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Death, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

ameliacollins's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Violence, Stalking, Mental illness, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Blood, Addiction, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, and Death of parent

Minor: Sexual harassment, Sexual content, and Suicide

bookishbellz's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Stalking, and Death of parent

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, and Drug use

alomie's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

I really enjoyed this whodunnit. I did not see the ending coming and it kept things interesting. 
Some of the "origin stories" were a bit harrowing, and it's not easy going in that respect, however, as we are trying to understand the motives of a serial killer it makes sense contextually. These messed up childhoods absolutely might create a serial killer. 
Kept me guessing right to the end and was actually quite gripping. 
Found this to be a slow start but really picked up in the third act and personally I could have done with a bit more pace, potentially this is an audio-book issue rather than a book issue. I liked it overall but I don't think I would go back to it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Mental illness, and Injury/Injury detail

Warning Re the Dog

The dad kills the lovely dog, it's really horrid.

erinlaura's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Self harm, Stalking, and Violence

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Infidelity

Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide attempt, and Car accident

maddyontheoffbeat's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

I’m not usually one for mysteries, but I really liked this one. It reminded my of Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo. A classic whodunit. I totally was not expecting the end,but it fit perfectly. It all feel into place. Very good. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Sexual assault and Drug use

mariacalvo's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence

sadiefc's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Murder, and Stalking

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Grief, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt

sunsetcity's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, Gore, Infidelity, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence

toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition

dark informative mysterious sad tense slow-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 slogged on for the first 140 pages and I almost DNF'd a bunch of times. This was, for the most part, so boring that I wanted to cry. It hit its stride *sort of* toward the middle and end, but God, these characters were flat, the perpetrator of the murders was too predictable for me (though, to the book's credit, the reasoning behind it was not). One thing I did really like was the incorporation of literature and Greek Mythology in the narrative, but Overall, this really felt like a waste of time. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol

Moderate: Infertility, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual content

Minor: Self harm and Xenophobia