Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

12 reviews

utopiaandmelancholy's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

Stunningly written. The subject matter is difficult, but the hope shines through as well. I wasn't very aware of the history around the Cyprus civil war, which is still in very recent history, but this was a vivid and personal introduction. The fig tree sections I also thought were beautiful. I already have an interest in plant science so I did already know some of the amazing facts that are shared, but I loved the way they also support the story. A fantastic exploration of love against the odds, generational trauma, and the fracturing of a community in a troubled time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Child death, Homophobia, Animal death, Hate crime, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, and Police brutality

Moderate: Drug use, Pregnancy, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Alcohol

Minor: Abortion

jenlovesbooksandcoffee's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Sometimes, what you call the perpetrator was just another name for an unacknowledged victim.

The audio is so good!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Hate crime, Homophobia, Animal cruelty, Colonisation, Pregnancy, Genocide, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, War, Abortion, Animal death, Bullying, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Xenophobia

crazytourists_books's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

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

4.5

Something quite interesting happened while I was reading this book. My feelings about it completely changed; I didn't particularly enjoy the narration parts by the fig tree (how much I love figs, is beyond words; fig trees are my second favorite tree after the olive trees). Let's get back to my feelings about these parts of the narration: I started feeling annoyed, then tired, then indifferent until the end that part of what Shafak tried to do, fell in place. Part of it, because I still think that pages in the book were unnecessarily and overly didactic. 
When I started this book, I left aside all the biases that, inevitably as a Greek have towards the history of Cyprus, the events, the people, the british colonisation and then the island's dichotomy. I think that Shafak also did her best to leave her biases on the side, and overall, she did a very good job, but in places, it did feel kind of forcibly balanced. 
Having said that, once again, I was lulled by the author's wonderful talent in storytelling; her words have a great power of pulling you in the story. A story of grief and loss and love. 
And here I am, loving a love story! 
My only regret is that I read in November, in England instead of August, in Greece, overlooking at the see, eating the most amazing fruit in the world! Fresh figs!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Abortion, Violence, War, Death, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Animal death, and Murder

shhh_tamis_reading's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I’m so thankful this book was recommended. It’s one of the most beautiful books I’ve read. 

I adored all of the characters, especially the Fig Tree. In fact the chalets narrated by the Fig Tree may be my favorites. The entire book comes together with sacred beauty. 

I also now want to learn more about Cyprus which I was ignorant of before. I appreciate the author’s book list at the back of the book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Murder, Violence, War, Abortion, Alcohol, Addiction, Child death, Chronic illness, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Suicide, and Xenophobia

watermelleon's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I need to have another cry and talk about this at book club before writing a review here.... I read a huge chunk of this today and it has been nothing but crying my eyes out with little water breaks. my library copy now has mascara smudges on it, nothing I can do about that I guess :s

in short - best book I have read in a long time. it is beautifully written, surprisingly close to home and relatable, generally so informative on topics I new nothing about (that I probably should have!). it has changed my outlook on many perspectives in my life. this is a lifechanging book that I will be recommending to everyone. there are some tough, tough topics but so much hope and nostalgia as well.

on a personal note: This book has allowed me to reflect on my own recently-uprooted family history, and has helped me reflect on that as well the now clear impact of this on my family moving down through the generations.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, War, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Child death, Colonisation, Abortion, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Addiction, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Murder, Death of parent, Bullying, Animal death, Cultural appropriation, Grief, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Terminal illness

War Imagery throughout and discussion of death of multiple characters in detail (not graphic in terms of gore, but explains how they died). Colonisation: discussion throughout of colonisation in relation to cyprus and the effects of this, more focussed on the cultural impact than graphic/gore detail. Pregnancy and Children:

a child dies at a young age of malaria, child is assumed for a while to be an abortion.

Terminal Illness:

Main Character's grand parents died as a result of cancer- they were poisoned by asbestos from some overalls used for working in the mines

Sucide / alcohol / drug use:

the main character's mother is revealed to have killed herself, was an alcoholic and took pills to end her life

Mental Illness: many themes of mental illness throughout, especially a big theme of inheriting generational trauma (war related) and how this impacts younger generations the most. Bullying

short scene of bullying in a british school at the beginning of the book

Panic Attacks

short scene of bullying in a british school at the beginning of the book. The main character has a panic attack and screams during her class, an incident which is later discussed.

Homophobia

an interracial gay couple (two men) are kidnapped and killed within context of a war, it is suggested that their sexuality is a part of the attack as well as their conflicting cutural backgrounds

Kidnapping

an interracial gay couple are kidnapped and killed within context of a war, suggested that their sexuality is a part of the attack as well as their conflicting cutural backgrounds

masonjones's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

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

5.0

this book was truly one of the best books i’ve ever read. it was heartbreaking  while simultaneously hopeful. i deeply connected with this book and think it deserves all the praise it gets and more!

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Content Warnings

Minor: Alcoholism, Death of parent, and Drug abuse

hannah_solly17's review

emotional hopeful informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, War, and Death

Moderate: Drug abuse, Child death, and Abortion

cinnamonpizza8's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

4.0

The author did a magical job of tying together a beautiful story of immigration and conflict and history effortlessly. I felt engrossed in this book when I read it, wanting to hear all the details and deeply thinking of the concepts the author rose through the characters. The fig tree was the best part of the story - I loved having this omnipresent voice that felt grounded (haha, get it). Overall, a great story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Misogyny, Mental illness, Medical content, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Homophobia, Grief, Genocide, Drug abuse, Child death, Suicide, Death of parent, Death, Sexism, Racism, War, Xenophobia, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, Murder, Islamophobia, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

feebles640's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, War, and Grief

Moderate: Suicide, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Child death, Pregnancy, Homophobia, and Hate crime

Minor: Bullying and Murder

romyreads_'s review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Alcohol, Abortion, Death of parent, Mental illness, War, Violence, Addiction, and Death

Minor: Mental illness, Infidelity, Suicide, Drug use, Animal death, Terminal illness, Dementia, Bullying, Animal cruelty, and Abandonment