Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

80 reviews

victoriawl93's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Murder, and Grief

Moderate: Death, Suicide, Abortion, Blood, and Bullying

Minor: Infidelity, Addiction, Alcohol, and Drug use

ginnyroberts2's review

mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Fun! I thought each character had an interesting little story to tell, although I expected the ways those stories intersected to be a bit more nuanced/interesting. Even though the ending was a bit boring I had fun reading and would recommend to someone looking for something simple and enjoyable, or any fans of mysteries. The Agatha Christie comparisons are deserved! 
But at the same time there's something about Foley that just bothers me. While the genre might be best enjoyed by turning some parts of my brain off, I do think this and the Paris Apartment had endings that are sorta suburban girl panic... In this one there are very flat charicatures of topics that irl are more complicated than

one irredeemable man so evil so terrible that we can all agree he DESERVES to be stabbed BY women and FOR women !

there's like a Facebook viral post quality to the topics Foley chooses for these books and not in a very self-aware or critical kind of way. It's like these books play to the same anxieties fed to us by social media algorithms and then offer the fantasy of violent catharsis, but ultimately that reinforces anxiety and a heartless worldview where everyone is out to get you, where there are bad evil people around every corner, and the only thing that can heal you is righteous violence against the dehumanized.
 Don't think too hard

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Abortion, Addiction, Suicide, Drug use, Pregnancy, and Self harm

Revenge porn

christinereads1823's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

An excellently written, wonderfully intricate thriller mystery. Foley's five narrators are evocative, their distinct voices a perfect blend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Alcohol, and Self harm

Moderate: Grief, Infidelity, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, and Blood

Minor: Suicide attempt, Sexual harassment, Suicide, and Abortion

gabiboyle's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Self harm, and Death

Moderate: Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Alcohol

Minor: Abandonment and Addiction

bethaniesherwood's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I don’t like how neatly some of the plot threads are wrapped up. It’s almost too neat. It feels akin to “plot armor” but I genuinely don’t think that’s the case. To an extent, I think all the “coincidences” are fine at an event like a wedding — which would bring everyone you know together — but there’s two “coincidence”s that shouldn’t fit and feel forced. It takes you out of it. 

That said, the writing itself is very good. Gripping. Even though all these characters are terrible people, I was hooked. Foley has a way of crafting a narrative that’s hard to get out of your head. She seems to gravitate toward mysteries but if she ever wrote a psychological thriller, I’d buy several copies. 

Anyway, I “read” this as an audiobook. The narrators did a fantastic job, each character had its own voice — which paid homage to their roots and personality. 

I think the editor screwed Foley over a bit on this one. When I read through reviews and saw people citing repetition as an undesirable trait, I just assumed they meant the revolving narratives. That was premature. The narratives and timelines are orchestrated quite well. In my opinion, the word choice was redundant in a lot of ways. Again, excusable through their linked pasts and culture. The foreshadowing didn’t help either — too  heavy handed. 

Still a great read. Would recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, and Murder

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Self harm, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, and Classism

Minor: Mental illness, Blood, Violence, Gaslighting, Infidelity, and Grief

Parental neglect; sexual blackmail;

atsundarsingh's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.25

Totally didn't see the end coming, and it managed to be layered surprises past the initial one. I liked the multiple POVs despite myself; author really managed to make each charcter have their own voice and make sense. Pretty suspenseful, and I was interested for the most part. Occasionally fell off, particularly Johnno in the first 2/3 but otherwise largely good.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Bullying, Addiction, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Classism, Medical content, Sexism, Drug use, Death, Vomit, Violence, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

calenmarwen's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad 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

3.5

The build up is a little slow and less inspiring, but the connections when they start to be made carry you through to the tense ending.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Murder, Mental illness, Addiction, Self harm, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Suicide, Child death, and Drug use

mi_bean's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Infidelity, Self harm, Grief, Murder, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Blood, Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Bullying, Death, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

gemmu's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Alcohol, Death, Self harm, Blood, and Drug use

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Gaslighting, and Child death

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Cursing, Classism, Addiction, and Abortion

czty27's review

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Infidelity and Pregnancy