Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Junkies by Melvin Burgess

5 reviews

nalakoala's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Addiction, Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Death

Moderate: Child death, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abortion, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, and Violence

Minor: Antisemitism, Pedophilia, Racial slurs, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Xenophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Medical content, Abortion, Body shaming, Racism, Sexual content, Cursing, and Gaslighting

questingnotcoasting's review against another edition

dark sad fast-paced

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

3.0

I would never have read this if it wasn't a book club pick and while it's not really my kind of book, I am glad read it. It's a bleak read and the characters are extremely frustrating but I did like the writing and the effective use of multiple POVs. Melvin Burgess is an author I never read as a teenager but somehow the style felt familiar to me, maybe because I read other 1990s YA.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Racial slurs, Racism, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Blood

maireada21's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Abortion, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

hannahwillacy's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Addiction

Moderate: Violence, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Child abuse

Minor: Pedophilia, Abortion, Antisemitism, and Racism

blakeney_clark's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

4.5

One of the most real feeling books I've ever read. Not even in the subject matter so much as the characters who are complicated and flawed and easy to hate yet impossible not to root for. Everything about this book was unexpected and hard hitting, and there was something so refreshing in its utter refusal to shy away from difficult subjects and show them as they are, rather than in the neat recovery arcs with a side serving of moral didacticism. The characters and their journeys speak for themselves, ultimately exploring the way, no matter how hard we try, we fail to be different from our parents. A tough read but a good one.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Violence, Cursing, and Alcoholism