Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

13 reviews

oproy's review against another edition

inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

I found the backdrop to the story extremely interesting and awe-inspiring. The plight of the Native Americans in the not so distant past is unfathomable, and this novel brings their stories to life.  And the entire idea of the termination bill and that people can just be used as chess pieces is a sad reality many face. 

However, rating just the novel, I did not enjoy. The way Erdrich intertwined magic/mysticism with the rest of the story sometimes confused me. I felt I had to finish it just to finish it, not because I enjoyed turning the page.  I understand that the point of Patrice is that she is coming of age emotionally while also having to take care of her family, but she was just unlikeable to me. 

I did find that the author’s way of leaving certain things to our own mind (Vera’s whereabouts, Parantau’s abuse) was well done. 


Overall, I did not enjoy but mostly because I felt like there was always something I was missing just beyond the grasp of my understanding. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Rape, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Violence, Racism, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment

maggies's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad slow-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? It's complicated

2.0

Read for a book club and really struggled with this one. It was beautifully written. Erdrich is clearly a master. But the subject matter and composition were not my cup of tea. It was almost stream of consciousness, which is my absolute least favorite, and I found it very difficult to keep track of the many characters, especially as the POV switched to a new character basically by the chapter. I gave it an extra star because I learned a lot about termination, but overall, not for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Trafficking, Death of parent, Racism, Colonisation, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, and Death

maryfranvs's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Trafficking and Violence

Moderate: Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Sexism, Addiction, Drug use, and Grief

Minor: Sexual content

retroreader17's review against another edition

emotional inspiring sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Colonisation, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Racism, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Drug use, and Alcohol

kimveach's review

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

Such a good story - based upon the true fight by the Turtle Mountain band of the Chippewa against the government's plan for the termination of the reservation and support of their people. She brings to life so many different characters and elements of reservation life in the 1950s.  I love these characters and hated to leave them when the book ended.  I'll be reading more from this author.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Racism, Rape, Trafficking, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content

Moderate: Drug abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Medical content, and Medical trauma

Minor: Animal death, Death of parent, Grief, and Incest

pavonini's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad 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

5.0

This is the book I'd most like to stay in this year. Absolutely loved it. The characters & relationships were so beautifully observed. The gentle humour was perfect, and balanced out the sadness. I felt like I was there, in a different place, a different time, a different culture.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Racism, and Sexual assault

Minor: Genocide

alyx's review

adventurous challenging emotional informative 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? It's complicated

5.0

A modern classic. The Night Watchman is defined by its beautiful prose and masterful storytelling, uniquely illuminating the lives of a wide variety of characters, yet also informing readers of an oft-erased period of neocolonial history and violence in the United States

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Trafficking

Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Grief, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, and Violence

Minor: Confinement, War, Pregnancy, and Genocide

haileybones's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, and Death

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Child death

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Excrement, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Violence, and Religious bigotry

womanwill's review

challenging emotional informative reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Racism, Trafficking, Religious bigotry, Rape, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Grief, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Confinement, Animal death, Alcoholism, and Addiction