Reviews tagging 'Homophobia'

Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann

51 reviews

ka4t's review

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Suicide, Fatphobia, Eating disorder, Homophobia, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Self harm

claytoncwillis's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Drug use, and Drug abuse

Minor: Homophobia

abbymatherne's review

dark emotional sad 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

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. It was everything I wanted Black Swans by Eve Babitz to be. The story follows three main women and their downfalls as they each transform into the person they swore they would never be due to men, addiction, and greed. This is not a particularly moving or deep novel, but it kept my attention and I found it enjoyable to read. I enjoyed reading about the lives of the three young women in glamorous locations and the psychological toll explored when one tries to navigate the entertainment industry and the world of the wealthy. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Fatphobia, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Abortion, Terminal illness, Homophobia, Cancer, Drug use, Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Infidelity, and Self harm

lollymac's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Sexual content, Mental illness, Infertility, Forced institutionalization, Eating disorder, Drug use, Abortion, Self harm, Suicide, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Medical content, Pregnancy, Body shaming, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Biphobia, Infidelity, Grief, Fatphobia, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Confinement, Cancer, Alcohol, and Abandonment

The book was slow to start as Anne isn't the most interesting character to follow around. But I raced to the finish as it became a telenovela. If you want to read about career women who get punished for every bad decision they make, and men who do the bare minimum facing no consequences and getting rewarded for it.

taleofabibliophile's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Abortion, Cancer, Death, Alcohol, Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Suicide, Confinement, Cursing, Misogyny, Death of parent, Drug use, Drug abuse, Mental illness, War, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Pregnancy, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Car accident, Lesbophobia, and Violence

Minor: Antisemitism

emjames22's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Homophobia

haileyeh's review

dark sad fast-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Suicide, Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, and Fatphobia

Moderate: Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Cancer, Infertility, Infidelity, Homophobia, and Abortion

bmpicc's review against another edition

challenging dark sad slow-paced

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

2.0

Absolute trash. If it was non-fiction it'd be titled 'How to be a Monster Friend'. I disliked all the characters... perhaps that was the point(?). I had to keep reminding myself when it was published too. The excessive use of the word "fag" and criticisms of women being "fat" was making me internally scream. 

This is listed as a cult classic and was on my TBR for a long time. I'm sad to say that I was disappointed. I think it is the fact that none of the characters grew or learned. They were the same people at the end as they were at the beginning, just fueled by little colored dolls. It was all tell, no show.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, Suicide, Fatphobia, Self harm, Eating disorder, Body shaming, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Abortion

gabriella_'s review

dark emotional funny sad tense

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

4.5

this book is going to haunt me, i know it. parts of the book are tough to swallow (esp the fatphobia/body shaming, ableism, and homophobia) but if you can power through, it’s so worth it. idk if this is a hot take but i think it has a similar message to the barbie movie but it does it better

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Body horror, Gaslighting, Grief, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Cancer, Classism, Confinement, Addiction, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Blood, Body shaming, Abandonment, Ableism, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Alcoholism, Bullying, Death of parent, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, and Death

lbyars99's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Alcohol, Cancer, Grief, Homophobia, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Death, Mental illness, and Pregnancy