Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore

4 reviews

blewballoon's review

emotional lighthearted reflective sad slow-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

3.75

I enjoyed this book for the most part, but I did want something more from it. I feel like the "resolutions" to a couple of the characters plot-lines were unsatisfying, and since that's most of what the book has going for it in terms of story, that feels more significant than it might in a more plot heavy book. What the book does well is show a group of strangers coming together as true friends, which is a type of story that I eat up just about every time. I just had a few lingering doubts and concerns here that I would have rather been addressed better, and there were parts of the writing that felt a little too forced even for my sentimental soft heart. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Grief

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Medical content, Child death, and Terminal illness

Minor: Blood and Alcohol

the_true_monroe's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing 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

5.0

This was one of the most heartwarming, relaxing and lighthearted (for the most part) books I ever read. I loved all of the major characters and how all of the lonely hearts found each other.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Grief, Bullying, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, and Child death

Minor: Cancer, Death of parent, Cursing, Medical trauma, Stalking, Alcohol, and Blood

lizzye33's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Toxic friendship

Minor: Alcohol, Cursing, Gaslighting, Self harm, Blood, Cancer, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, and Toxic friendship

purplepenning's review

emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

3.0

I was super close to DNFing in the first 50 pages, and I'm still wondering if that might've been the better choice. It's competently written, and I understand why others might like it, but there's something off and off-putting about this one, and I'm sorry to say I'm not going to devote any more time to it to try to figure it out. It's an "irascible/antisocial/curmudgeonly elder and other floundering figures connect and create a supportive community" story, of a sort I've certainly read and appreciated before — A Man Called Ove, The Authenticity Project, The Reading List, All the Lonely People, Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting, The Secret Life of Albert Entwistle. It's written in multiple points of view, which I also generally enjoy. The first section proved to be my least favorite POV, so I was hopeful that pushing through it would be worthwhile. It was... okay-ish. Interesting characters, whose back stories are basically the plot, and a moderately satisfying conclusion. I would've preferred fewer characters, more depth, more challenge to some of the casual cruelties and sexism, more humor, and a greater sense of sustainable growth and happiness at the end. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Chronic illness, Sexism, Grief, Medical content, Abandonment, Cancer, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Child death, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Alcohol, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail