Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

37 reviews

marisamidori's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm and Alcoholism

Minor: Sexual assault

librarianlayla's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

If you're looking for a book that has a lot of emotional range, but not overly littered with joy or hope - then this is for you.

Whilst beautifully written, raw and real - there wasn't a lot of light within this book. It holds a lot of pain, confusion and loss.

This book is designed to make you feel and to think on a broader spectrum. Less about enjoyment and more about emotional expansion within the realm of sorrow.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Abandonment, Addiction, Car accident, Drug use, Dysphoria, Racial slurs, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Death, Animal death, Cursing, Grief, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, and Hate crime

danaaliyalevinson's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

I kept going back and forth on my rating for this one between a 4 and a 5. And to be honest, if I was rating only on the quality of the writing, both prose and structure, it probably deserves a 4. Still a very good book,  but there were parts that definitely didn't work or felt narratively clumsy, but truthfully, forest for the trees I found it deeply emotional, moving, and what did work was breathtaking and deeply deeply affecting for me. So this is sort of a “you know what, f**ck it, despite its flaws I loved it” 5 stars. A teenager and his mother both battle mental illness in the aftermath of the sudden death of their father/husband. The teenager, Benny, hears voices. And inanimate objects speak to him. And one of those is an omniscient voice called "The Book". And the narrative toggles back and forth between Benny's perspective and the perspective of the eponymous anthropomorphic book. And this device was used brilliantly to drive home the book's larger themes about the meaning that we give objects in our lives, especially when dealing with grief.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Death of parent, Bullying, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcoholism

clemencepct's review

reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Mental illness, and Death of parent

Minor: Child abuse, Alcoholism, Addiction, and Animal death

yalestay's review

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm and Mental illness

Moderate: Drug use, Animal death, and Alcoholism

carolines's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, and Grief

iliveinletters's review

emotional mysterious reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Grief

Moderate: Car accident, Death, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Self harm, Animal cruelty, Ableism, Alcoholism, and Grief

walkintoes's review

emotional inspiring reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death of parent, and Mental illness

Moderate: Addiction and Drug use

Minor: Bullying and Alcoholism

savvylit's review

adventurous dark emotional 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? Yes

4.5

The Book of Form and Emptiness is a deep dive into the ills of consumerism, overwhelming grief, literature as refuge, and misunderstood mental illness. The two protagonists of Benny and his mother Annabelle are beautifully and unflinchingly portrayed. As Ozeki unveils their individual grief, it gradually morphs into distinct mental illnesses for each of them. Annabelle's hoarding happens so gradually and logically (to her) that readers come to see it for what it is: an entirely natural & unsurprising reaction to her loneliness. Similarly, Ozeki presents Benny's symptoms through the lens of magical realism. This allows readers to empathize with Benny's burden - rather than pity or judge. Also, two of the book's secondary characters are houseless individuals. Readers get to know both of them as Benny does - which is to come to understand the circumstances and pain that led to their ostracization from society at large.

In addition to Ozeki's masterful and nuanced portrayal of mental illness, this novel is a touching love letter to literature and public libraries. By the book's end, Benny learns what many of us already know: that literature and libraries can offer an incomparable refuge and that everyone has a story to tell.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Self harm, and Addiction

Moderate: Alcoholism, Classism, Racism, and Fatphobia

Minor: Drug abuse

emmagreenwood's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful mysterious reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Cursing, Sexual assault, Grief, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Body shaming, Fatphobia, Death of parent, Racism, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Police brutality, Addiction, Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, and Drug use