Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Sirens & Muses by Antonia Angress

14 reviews

sjanke2's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.25

 RIYL: campus novels, the art world, the haves and have nots, bisexual love triangles, Occupy Wall Street, adjectives

Casting: ironically, Phoebe Bridgers as Karina and Daisy Edgar Jones as Louisa 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Dementia, Toxic relationship, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Cursing, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Drug use, Grief, Sexual assault, Infidelity, and Mental illness

bella_cavicchi's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

I wish I could say my enjoyment of SIRENS & MUSES was surprising, but it quite honestly focuses on everything I love: art and nature, coming of age, existence in the recent but not the present, etc., etc. This was a read I savored, and I'm already looking forward to Angress' sophomore novel, whatever it may be about (!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Rape, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Alcohol, Drug use, Suicide attempt, and Sexism

wormsforbrains's review against another edition

fast-paced

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

4.5

empathized with karina too much, probably! so beautifully written honestly. 

coming back to bump it down from 5 stars because

preston was so fucking annoying to me and regardless of the horrible shit he went through, i just couldn't find it in me to sympathize with him at most points.

also imo some of the art described was so fucked up to me lol i defo don't get it, sorry!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault

Moderate: Alcohol, Death of parent, Dementia, Physical abuse, Drug use, and Suicide

caseythereader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Thanks to Random House for the free advance copy of this book.

 - SIRENS AND MUSES is atmospheric, enveloping the reader in the characters' art world bubble.
- It's got a touch of Donna Tartt to it, with the wealthy college students getting wrapped up in each other and their studies, and I think anyone who has ever been in an art program (hi, me) will find some aspects of the story highly, maybe uncomfortably, relatable.
- This book gets really deep into questions about what and who is art for, and while the fine art vs the internet throughline could have been trite, I think it was pretty well done. Additionally, the bits about how so much art has simply become items for wealthy billionaires to trade around...whew. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Child abuse, Cursing, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Vomit