Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Requiem for a Dream by Hubert Selby Jr.

17 reviews

carolineberry12's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Medical content, Racial slurs, Drug use, Drug abuse, Violence, Gore, Police brutality, Sexual content, Racism, Gun violence, and Toxic relationship

miss_modular's review against another edition

dark sad tense slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, and Drug use

jennabst's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This book is an unassuming, yet harrowing depiction of the rapid descent into several forms of addiction, the lengths the mind will go to to justify addiction, and the dire consequences that can arouse from it. Selby’s writing style is a perfect fit for this type of story; and the plotlines felt natural despite being absolutely terrifying to imagine. I felt emotional this entire book, and I think this is a must read for anyone who can stomach the content. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Racial slurs, Drug use, Addiction, Medical trauma, Drug abuse, and Sexual content

brianna2811's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Murder, Medical content, Racism, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Alcohol, Cursing, Eating disorder, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Hate crime, Addiction, Mental illness, Police brutality, and Racial slurs

introverted_reads's review against another edition

dark reflective slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Racial slurs, Racism, Eating disorder, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Death, Vomit, Blood, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Sexism, and Sexual content

Minor: Police brutality, Gun violence, Excrement, and Violence

smithjasont01's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.75

"For without it his life was worse than hell, far worse than death, death seeming to be a reward rather than a threat"

What a ride this was, watching the 4 main characters, Harry, Tyrone, Marion, and Sara, as they get addicted either to heroin in the case of the first three and diet pills for the last.  You watch as they enjoy the highs of the drugs at the start, Harry and Ty making a bunch of money, Sara losing weight so she can look good on TV, only for things to slowly fall apart.  Soon the addition starts to take hold the money starts slowing down and they are getting off more on their supply, and Sara getting a tolerance to the pills and ending up taking Valium to level out from the rush of the diet pills.  Then things change, the trio starts doing anything they can to get their next hit as fast as they can, Marion whoring herself out while Sara ends up getting admitted to a hospital and being "treated" with shock therapy.  Rock bottom hits when the boys try to head to Miami to score drugs and end up on the wrong side of the law, while Sara end up in a mental ward after her treatments.  The ending was a train wreck you couldn't look away from.

Selby did a great job pacing the book with the characters growing additions, slow in the beginning and just ramping up and up as you get closer to the end.  You watch as they all think "I'll never be one of those junkies all I need is one good score and we are straight" even as Harry is using an infected arm to get high or Marion whoring herself more and more to make sure she has enough dope to get through the day eventually ending up in an orgy for dime bags.  Watching them with their though process you can see how easy it is to slip into and then last the point of no return when it comes to drugs.  

Overall a haunting look at drug addiction written really well.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Forced institutionalization

jaaeelyn's review against another edition

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse and Drug use

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Vomit and Death

aignerloren's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Drug use, Medical trauma, Addiction, and Drug abuse

literarylion's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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

4.25

This was EXTREMELY graphic, sometimes gratuitously so, but I still think it has a lot to say, especially when it was published in the late 70s. Selby's experimentation with minimal punctuation was effective and didn't impact the flow. Probably some of the most complex and evocative character development I've read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Cursing, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Addiction, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, Drug use, Excrement, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Torture, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Body horror, Confinement, Drug abuse, Death, Sexism, Toxic friendship, and Violence

isaarusilor's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, and Sexual content