Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

8 reviews

melflo's review against another edition

emotional funny sad medium-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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Grief

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Grief, and Medical content

Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Cancer, Confinement, Drug abuse, Racism, Alcohol, Drug use, Terminal illness, Addiction, and Sexual assault

Minor: Child death, Gaslighting, Genocide, Abandonment, Colonisation, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Outing, Bullying, Child abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual content, Stalking, Xenophobia, and Religious bigotry

frankyreadsbooks's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Alcoholism and Car accident

therainbowshelf's review against another edition

emotional funny sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This book finds a good balance between over the top humor, parenthood, and grief. It was fun reading all the ways Pat tries to connect with the kids and fails, and watching him work through his grief. He does read like a gay type-character from a comedy movie, though, and I wish the kids got a little more characterization. We don't really see them deal with their grief and they feel like they stop being people when not on screen.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Grief, Death, Death of parent, Alcohol, Homophobia, Medical content, and Car accident

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Sexual content, Racism, and Alcoholism

Death of partner, gay couple not able to be together in hospital, earthquake, toxic family relationship

laurynsmith's review against another edition

adventurous funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced

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

3.5

This book was the ultimate feel-good comfort story. I really enjoyed the premise and characters. My biggest criticism though was that I thought it was repetitive and I wanted a lot more from it. Just a little disappointment. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Grief

taelights's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Terminal illness, Car accident, and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Drug use

annabeavo's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Death

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Homophobia

taelights's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

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

5.0

I loved this book so much. It was such a beautiful story about family and grief that also contained such beautiful and unapologeticly gay representation. 

Patrick was such a great character. Getting to learn more about his past was so interesting. Plus seeing how grief shaped his life and family begun to mend it was such a beautiful story to read. 

Plus both the children (Grant and Maisie) were both such adorable characters and seeing their story after loosing their mother was so sad but heartwarming in places. 

I also adored the side characters in this story a lot. I thought it was especially amazing to see gay polyamorous representation in a book because I've never seen that before. Patrick did start off judgemental about his neighbor's relationship but I thought it was nice to see his perspective begin to change and for him to become closer friends with them. I still wish Patrick ended up with the three of them because that would have been my perfect ending is him moving on from his loss and finding love somewhere he never expected but I am still very happy with the actual ending. 

The only thing I didn't like about the book is how the author choose to write out Grant's lisp whenever he talked. As a reader with dyslexia it made it a bit challenging for me to understand what he was saying at times and I would often have to sit their trying to figure out what the word actually was. I wish the author had just mentioned his lisp a few times rather than actually writing it out nearly every speaking line Grant had. 

Overall this book was a perfect mix of funny, sad, and heartwarming moments. I adored this book and all the characters so much. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Grief, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Alcohol, Car accident, and Drug use

Minor: Alcoholism

All deaths are off screen but the death of parent/best friend and also the past death of a lover shape the characters choices.