Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh

37 reviews

nmcannon's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

After witnessing the scrapped raw humor of Hyperbole and a Half, I was curious where Brosh would go with this sequel memoir. Also: a library shelf was left unattended in my vicinity. 

Like its predecessor, Solutions and Other Problems is a collection of comics. The memoir has no plot per se: only a journey. It took me a bit to figure out where Brosh was going. Hyperbole’s intense exposure and authorial vulnerability carries over this sequel. At first, these stories seemed like lone fragments with little connection. Then came the chapter where Brosh discusses her younger sister’s sudden, violent death and I went oh.

I have a brother. He is not dead. But, my God, I cannot imagine any greater, utter shattering of the self than the loss of him. I cannot imagine ever again feeling the earth’s spin the same way. Each of Brosh’s chapters were spokes on the crushing wheel of grief, and the central hub was the gaping wound of her sister’s absence. Stack that on top of Brosh’s own health problems, the pandemic, the 2016 USA Election, and damn. It’s a wonder Brosh can get out of bed. 

Solutions and Other Problems is funny—but the humor is bleak. Nihilism threads itself through each piece. Brosh’s “nothing matters, life’s not fair, and everything’s absurd, so we might as well have fun” philosophy seems to get her through the day, so kudos to her. Thankfully, the book ends on a hopeful note and urges the reader to befriend oneself in all one’s weird glory.

Overall, I’d recommend this comic to adults who need someone to be with them in a dark place. Check the content warnings, and best of luck out there. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Chronic illness, Excrement, Stalking, Grief, Mental illness, and Medical content

Moderate: Death, Vomit, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Car accident

The level and description of triggering content in Solutions and Other Problems is either similar or one notch above the previous memoir, Hyperbole and a Half.

kloughlin's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Suicide, and Chronic illness

ratxheart's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Medical trauma, Car accident, Grief, Drug use, Alcohol, Death, Excrement, Cancer, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, Animal death, and Suicide

Moderate: Body horror and Cursing

galexy_brain's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

4.5

This was exactly the kind of easy-to-read, lighthearted book I needed to read to remind me why I like reading while trying to tackle a much more intricate, dense text. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Cursing, Death, Excrement, and Grief

Minor: Animal death, Car accident, Drug use, and Medical content

carol_ann's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Drug use, Grief, and Mental illness

menomica's review against another edition

funny hopeful relaxing sad

God, I love Ally Brosh’s style of writing and comedy. It is so nonsensical and discombobulated yet perfectly so. I love how the book managed to talk about serious topics such as death and loneliness with an approachable cynical humor. This is the perfect companion book to Hyperbole & A Half

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, and Mental illness

Moderate: Suicide, Drug use, Dysphoria, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Animal death and Medical content

qqjj's review

dark emotional funny sad slow-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness

Minor: Suicide and Drug use

madmilliner's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful fast-paced

5.0

This is a book about immense tragedy,  and it's hilarious. It made me really uncomfortable while being an absolute vacation.  No idea how Allie does it, and she does it well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Body horror, Chronic illness, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Violence

serminerva's review

dark emotional funny fast-paced

5.0

GUESS WHAT, MY GUY? you dont get to pick bananas anymore

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, and Drug use

caramiaculpa's review

emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Car accident, Death, Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Drug use

Minor: Suicide