Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Moja temna Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell

434 reviews

readingwithdaniella's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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 First read of 2022 was a tough one, but important. Please make sure you are in the right headspace before picking this one up, because while worth the read, it is not an easy one.
Probably would have been 5 stars, but the ending felt incomplete and abrupt to me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcohol

s1515's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Rape

Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Alcohol

Minor: Grief, Death of parent

gee_l_reads's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship

natalie28's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use

brooklynjane's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Gaslighting

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness

ohhthehorrors's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment

shellbeesbooks's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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very dark, definitely could be triggering, very frustrating but it’s supposed to be so she does that really well 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, Sexual harassment

adriaxlife's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting

Moderate: Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment

Minor: Alcoholism, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide

atalea's review against another edition

3.5

dark medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting

Moderate: Drug use

readingisforhotgirls's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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this is plainly a book about abuse (sexual, emotional, and an abuse of power) that, at first, is disturbingly masqueraded as love in the eyes of a fifteen year old girl. however it is much more complex and nuanced than that, and was incredibly hard to get through in the best possible way. i really thought the parallels to lolita were very well thought out. and oh my god oh my god omg the way russell delves into the workings of subtle manipulation, trauma, and vanessa’s gradual self-realisation about her past in the words of an unreliable narrator is one of a kind. it did get a little too slow-paced and boring for me at a few parts, but all-in-all, this book broke me. i was so moved by it & left speechless and shocked at so many points, and think this is such an important and necessary read for girls today <3

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent