Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

50 reviews

deltadam's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Addiction, Alcohol, Death, and Drug use

thalia16's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

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

2.0

I'm a ride or die Ann Patchett fan, but this book just didn't have the magic for me. Judging books by their cover is often misleading in a pleasantly surprising way, however this one unfortunately aligned very closely with its cover: outdated (despite taking place during an incredibly contemporary world event) and not very exciting.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Abortion, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Cancer, Child death, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, and Pandemic/Epidemic

k8_face's review

emotional lighthearted reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism

Moderate: Addiction

Minor: Abortion

alyssapusateri's review against another edition

reflective relaxing 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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Alcoholism, Death, Toxic relationship, Addiction, and Alcohol

Minor: Suicide, Abortion, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Medical content, Cancer, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, and Infidelity

emilywemily6's review against another edition

reflective relaxing slow-paced

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

5.0

I adored this book. It was such a lovely treat to listen to, I could just dwell in the audiobook for as long as it would go on. It was a slow and calming read with a lot of nostalgia and romance (in the sense that life was romanticized, past and present, because of the good that came out of it in the end). It made me want to have more children and revel in their individuality and dreams and share with them my own past and dreams. It made me want to get involved with community theatre again. It made me want to move to Michigan and work on a cherry tree farm. There are definitely hardships/traumas mentioned, but not explicitly, since Lara is telling the story after years have gone by and she has a broader perspective. She also dictates how her story is told to her grown children and keeps a couple secrets to herself, though the reader gets let in on those secrets covertly. There isn’t really a climax or big reveal, though a few small twists and turns as you follow the story. I felt like Lara’s fourth daughter listening in on this story being told and I’m in a bit of a book hangover now that that world is over for me. It felt so realistic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Death, Bullying, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Addiction, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Drug use, Vomit, Sexism, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Sexual content

Minor: Abortion and Classism

lauren_r's review against another edition

lighthearted reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction and Death

hannahksc's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective relaxing sad slow-paced

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

3.75

I enjoyed this book, it’s well written and easy to read (or listen to, as I listened to some of it) however sometimes you have to guess at which character is speaking. The story itself was nice but it didn’t have a strong hook, and though I enjoyed reading it, I probably could have put it down part way and not thought of it again. (Though I didn’t because it was for my book club) There were a few random parts

such as Emily’s reason for not wanting children

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It’s fine to not want children, but to have a small climate change speech out of the blue and then never mention it again was weird. I also thought “what was the point of that, other then to be randomly depressing” when the talked about Brian and then the abortion.

Overall I enjoyed the book other then the two mentioned parts, and am glad I read it. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Abortion, Addiction, and Child death

moack_5's review against another edition

hopeful reflective 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? No

4.0

An interesting walk through the life of a young woman. Involving fame, career, family, and sickness. A retelling of a story of fame to a sweet family. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion and Alcoholism

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Cursing, Drug use, Pandemic/Epidemic, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Racism

athenap92's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Mental illness, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Addiction, and Abortion

maceydowns's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

feeling a bit like this book taught me the same lesson as everything everywhere all at once — but maybe that’s just the lesson I’m seeking right now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Addiction, and Medical content

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Cancer, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Rape

Minor: Animal death, Child death, Grief, Infidelity, and Racism