Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Black Girl Unlimited by Echo  Brown

28 reviews

imskylow's review against another edition

I’m sure this book is really powerful but as I am right now, I can’t convince myself to finish it. I was dragging my feet and taking too long to finish it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Bullying, Child abuse, and Drug use

simplyv375's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? It's complicated

4.5

At first I was confused by the wizard references but once I caught on and realized what they representated, which imo, is change and growth I understood. I loved the writing style for this book it was beautiful and even though i'm not black i resonated with a lot of it. This book brought me through all the emotions; sadness, anger, grief, moments of happiness and those are the best books. Although I will say definitely proceed with caution and look up the trigger warnings. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Murder, Racism, Bullying, Religious bigotry, and Sexual assault

ryliereadss's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? No

3.5

Very dark themes in this book, definitely check trigger warnings before picking this one up. Echo is a lovable main character who cares about her brothers, wants to make her mom proud, and learn how to use her wizard powers. Her mother doesn’t want to teach her so Echo has to find other women who will teach her. She also makes friends with other girls her age who are wizards which is fun. I liked that the character who became disabled wasn’t forgotten after his accident, like he wasn’t just a trauma Echo experienced. I loved the formatting of the time jumps. There was so much happening, friend drama, family drama, addiction, drugs,  magic, crushes, trauma, depression, anxiety, racism, and sexism. The conversations happening at the end of the book were really important.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Rape

Moderate: Sexual assault, Incest, and Suicidal thoughts

bunnibeereads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse

tinareads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

Oh, what a book this was. Halfway through reading I googled Echo Brown and learned she passed from kidney failure due to Lupus in September of 2023, as she waited for a kidney transplant. She was only 39 and I hope she rests in peace and light. I originally started this on Kindle, since that's how I own a copy, and I'm making a point this year to read more books I already own, but reading physical/e-books has been difficult lately, so I switched to the audiobook, thanks to my library. This novel is narrated by the author, and she gave an amazing performance. I can't recommend it enough.

I'm rusty at writing reviews, but this book touched my heart directly, so I feel pulled to speak on it. Please check trigger warnings before getting into this, especially if SA is a trigger for you. It's a prevalent them throughout the book and could be very triggering.

This book made me feel right at home. I was born and raised in California, not Ohio like Echo, but the way she wrote the experience of growing up Black and seeing how your parents struggle-to provide, to survive, to battle their demons-sometimes by using substances to dull the ache. How those struggles, when unaddressed, can bleed onto you, the child and shape you how it shaped them all those years ago. But also how the same parents who hurt you and aren't always available have those moments where they are soft and loving. How you yearn for those moments and cling to them when they're cruel. Phew! But, the magic on these pages added something special to this otherwise sad and tense recollection of Echo's upbringing. I love the aspect of ancestral magic in Black YA books. It often stems from the violence and survival of our ancestors, but it always does something for me. I like to think we might have some of that magic here in the real world, if we're willing to be open to it.

Like another reviewer said, the storytelling is definitely unique. You might be confused at the start, but if you stick with it and are open-minded I think it's quite enjoyable. The way the timelines blend together as the main story goes along was interesting and I was really invested, knowing that this book was about Echo's life with a magical twist. I shed quite a few tears in the last quarter of the audiobook, and it's a shame that we lost such a gifted storyteller so young. I'll definitely be checking out her other novels in the future.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, and Child abuse

Minor: Racial slurs and Suicide attempt

danceswithbugs's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Racism, Sexism, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, and Child abuse

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

**********trigger and spoiler alerts **********


Child molestation, colorism, wizardry, incest, alcoholism, drug addiction, hijab, privilege, darkness vs. light, multiculturalism, stereotypes, Black poverty, imposter syndrome, religious hypocrisy, puberty, sexualization of children, rape, racism and systemic racism, LGBT, Black feminism, rising up, coming of age, (in)equity, forgiveness, mental illness, grief, healing

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Incest, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Homophobia

aformeracceleratedreader's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

A tough read but a very good one. I don't read magical realism (I tried one book before but didn't finish it), but I think the audiobook really helped out and made it an enjoyable read. Echo is a wonderful character, and all her friends and family added so much to the story as well. It was tough reading about their struggles and the trauma they all go through, but it was also really nice to see how the young wizards were able to lift the negative veils and help heal those who were hurting when they could. The ending set up a nice hopeful feel as well.

I initially picked up The Chosen One to read, but upon finding out it was a sequel to this, I checked this out asap off Libby and completed it first before continuing with The Chosen One. Knowing how well written (and well narrated) this was, I'm stoked to continue with The Chosen One.

Definitely read content/trigger warnings because what Echo, her family, and her friends go through is very heavy to read. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, and Sexual assault

cosmicwillow's review against another edition

emotional hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

a must read by anyone. absolutely heart-wrenching, poetic, and utterly emotional. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Racism

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, and Child abuse

Minor: Bullying, Death, Medical content, Pedophilia, and Suicide

leahkarge's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Sexual violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Rape, Addiction, and Emotional abuse