Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

162 reviews

jessmbark's review

dark emotional slow-paced

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

1.25

This book probably could have been at least 100 pages shorter, but as someone who unexpectedly lost both parents as a young adult, I resonated with the exploration of grief. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Drug abuse, Murder, Drug use, and Gun violence

Moderate: Sexual content, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

theprinceofdenmark's review

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

the best book about grief and loss since catcher in the rye.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Violence, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Stalking

grcompain's review

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

5.0

While I don’t think this book is for everyone I love this book because Tartt writes in a way that touches me so personally. The in-depth over detailed descriptions and pages describing the mental perspective of the characters moving through PTSD and depression and substance abuse is so detailed and spans so many years. It felt like such an authentic encapsulation of a life. While I don’t think the book is perfect, I loved it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Death of parent, Infidelity, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Alcoholism, Addiction, Vomit, Violence, Suicide attempt, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Death, Child death, Blood, and Alcohol

readwithsophsx's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Cursing, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death, Drug use, Grief, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, and Alcohol

elibrownn's review

dark emotional slow-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Cursing, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Gun violence, Drug abuse, Grief, Bullying, Child abuse, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

eliran's review

dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug use, Alcoholism, Death, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Blood, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Infidelity

woweewhoa's review

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

While this book is very well written and a compelling character study, I unfortunately don't think I liked reading this book very much. It's a long and miserable read about Theodore Decker, our protagonist, ruining his life and getting his life ruined by others. It's a tragedy from the get go, and while its not all his fault, it's still hard to read at times. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Drug use, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Gun violence, Racial slurs, and Homophobia

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

k_vira's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense slow-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? Yes

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Gun violence, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Murder, Violence, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Addiction

Minor: Death and Death of parent

isabellen19's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-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

So there were parts of this book that were just so beautiful to read and made me very excited to pick the book back up,

basically everything before he came back from Vegas was perfection

. I think the second half of the book definitely could have used some more editing, as near the end I found myself just wanting to be done with the book. The casual racism and

Theo’s weird obsession with Pippa

throughout also threw me off and made me like the book less. However, I think my favorite part of the book was the recurring theme of the love for objects and what this means.

Theo’s mom was discussing how much more upsetting it is to lose an object rather than a person, and I think it was really interesting foreshadowing into Theo losing both his favorite person and his favorite object. The drug use made sense, but at times was excessive,

and made me wonder how much of the book I could trust (although an unreliable narrator can be fun). Overall this book was written beautifully and made me think a lot.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Alcohol, Death of parent, Alcoholism, and Addiction

nikelback's review

dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Murder