Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

The Trial of Lotta Rae by Siobhan MacGowan

5 reviews

mementowori's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

This broke me. I listened as an audiobook in work, and my colleague had to check in on me several times to make sure I was okay because I was chronically sad! Sadness, anger and frustration were circulating in me throughout. Amanda Dahl as narrator added something for me that I don't think I would have felt in physical format. Her voice coupled with the narrative was poetic and beautiful, so so hopeful, and yet...

I won't spoil the book but just know that while a tale of the past, you definitely can see the similarities to the struggles faced by women still. I was frustrated at the author for piling in so much grief, but at the same time, that's all part of the story. That's what happened, and acknowledge that is my problem, not the author's. It was beautiful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual violence, and Grief

Moderate: War, Sexism, Drug use, Torture, Sexual harassment, Drug abuse, and Misogyny

Minor: Murder, Miscarriage, and Pandemic/Epidemic

secre's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

This is one of those books that is both heart breaking and absolutely enthralling and I found myself absolutely caught by it from beginning to end. The writing was vivid and beautifully done, the time period and place were captured perfectly and the events of the novel built up in such a way that I did not see some of the hammers falling until they dropped.

This is a historic tale of the imbalance between the genders and how the power held by men can be used in brutal and unjust manners. It's beautiful, tragic and haunting. One violent act spills over and ruins multiple lives over decades, each one a cascading pin that rebounds to the next. And yet, the actual trial is over and done with very quickly. But that one act and the miscarriage of justice turns into something far wider and deeper.

This is a dark book in many ways, but it doesn't revel in the misery. It explores the misogyny and power imbalances of the time in both a personal and wider societal framework, touching on a number of lives in the process. Amazingly, each and every one of them come to life through the pages. It touches on some important moments in history; the suffragette movement and World War I being the key contenders. These are woven into the fictional narrative with skill and dexterity, highlighting the impact on the characters lives.

It twists and turns, capturing the choices both bad and good that can make or destroy lives. It's thoughtful and contemplative at points, deeply tragic and sad at others. And yet it is a masterpiece of writing that is both compelling and haunting. It is certainly a novel that will stay in my mind for some time to come.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Drug abuse, Death, Mental illness, and Death of parent

adelheid's review

dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Pregnancy, Addiction, Grief, Confinement, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Miscarriage, Gaslighting, Self harm, War, and Police brutality

Minor: Alcohol

anapthine's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Sexual violence, Gore, Gaslighting, Death, Suicide, Rape, Mental illness, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexism, Drug use, Confinement, Torture, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Pregnancy

Minor: Sexual content and Alcohol

the_prickly_reader's review

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism, Police brutality, Death, Murder, Addiction, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Rape

Minor: Miscarriage, Police brutality, and War