Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky

47 reviews

theimposter's review

dark emotional mysterious 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: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Murder, Sexual violence, Confinement, Physical abuse, War, Rape, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Self harm, Suicide, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Forced institutionalization, Alcoholism, Body horror, Gaslighting, Grief, Sexual assault, Slavery, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, and Medical trauma

Minor: Dementia, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Cursing, Drug abuse, Religious bigotry, Addiction, Chronic illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

rcd229's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Incest, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Gore, Death of parent, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Violence, Mental illness, Child abuse, Child death, Religious bigotry, and Suicide

Moderate: Gun violence, Domestic abuse, and Torture

Minor: Drug use, Miscarriage, and Bullying

thetearex's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Body shaming, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Death, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Grief, Gore, Gun violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Car accident, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Gaslighting

dez02's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I will start off by saying that anyone who is sensitive to triggers, or is easily upset/disturbed should not read this book. 

This book primarily focuses on children and the mess of their families. It is detailed and intense. The author describes many horrible things that happen to these children. I would say it is not for the faint of heart. 

I found myself having to take a break multiple times. Having to sit back and just take in what I read. 

That being said, the book was beautifully written. It's in 3rd person (I believe, correct me if I'm wrong), so we get the opinions of every character that we can. We see what goes on in their heads and how they get manipulated by "The Nice Man". 

It shows just how fragile humanity can be, and how with the flip of a switch, everything could come crumbling down. Just a little whisper in someone's ear to send them down the wrong path could be the catalyst to ruining their lives. 

Although the topics of the book are dark I did enjoy reading it. I recommen it with caution. Think about your own mental health and decide if you are in a steady place to delve into something dark. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Mental illness, Suicide, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Blood, and Car accident

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Rape, and Pregnancy

alisonfaith426's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Suicide, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Blood, Body horror, Grief, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Alcoholism, and Cursing

Moderate: Child death, Gore, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Chronic illness, Death, Gun violence, Terminal illness, and Medical content

Minor: Pregnancy and Sexual content

linneak's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Sexual content, Car accident, Child death, Confinement, Death, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Medical content, Violence, Torture, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Physical abuse, Stalking, Alcoholism, Bullying, Gun violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy

kconley15's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Self harm, Death, Pedophilia, Gore, and Suicide

jocy_'s review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

The first half of the book is very engaging and mysterious. You don't really know what you should expect and it did make my skin crawl at times. At first I didn't really enjoy the mentions of God but I thought it really came full circle up until the end. It could've just ended after Christopher and his mother told the nice man that they were watching him.

I don't understand why Chbosky made Mary Katherine pregnant. I also don't understand why he tried tying this to God and Eve. It added nothing to the plot.

I would have preferred if Chbosky made this a Sci-fi Thriller instead. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Death

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Bullying and Child abuse

jasmine256's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, and Suicide

Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Child death

buecher_und_huehner's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Dementia, Murder, Addiction, Animal death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Blood, Bullying, Medical content, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Pregnancy, Suicide, Car accident, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, and Pedophilia