Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis

94 reviews

bookworm_sarah's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol and Addiction

Moderate: Racial slurs and Death of parent

nithpanthiel's review

challenging emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

Making chess interesting through words is a feat in and of itself. This was a fantastic read. I don't understand much of chess, but each game felt like a battle in the way it was written.

The only thing that kept this from being a perfect book was Beth not truly conquering her addiction. Sure, she was free from it at the end, but so had she been many other times in the book. I don't believe her being free from it at the end had as much impact because she relapsed so many times throughout. If there had been something to suggest she went many years sober, I think it would have set differently. Regardless, I did like the way this book ended.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, and Alcohol

tetrootz's review against another edition

challenging inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Addiction, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Medical trauma, Dysphoria, Death, Grief, Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug use, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Rape, and Misogyny

Moderate: Racial slurs, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Racism, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Vomit, Cursing, and Blood

art_books_chemistry's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Death, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Grief

Moderate: Sexism

colorful_lulu's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

3.5

I still know nothing about chess besides the Sicilian. Do I know how to pronounce it or what it is besides an opening? Nope. The book was still entertaining even though the tone and the chess aspect could bore half-interested readers. It is a good book that explores addiction but it wasn’t the most entertaining book I’ve read. 

I’m still confused about Beth/Benny though. Because at the end of the book she’s 19. But when she first met Benny at the US openings she was about 15 and Benny 25. I’m not exactly sure what the precise age is since I read it quickly (and the show changed the age for some reason) but… I don’t like it. Or Benny to be honest. Why did Beth want to sleep with him? He seems like the least interesting person to do so, she even said the sex was just okay.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Misogyny, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

Minor: Xenophobia, Sexual content, and Car accident

sissa's review

adventurous 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Death of parent, Drug use, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Addiction, Alcohol, Child abuse, and Drug abuse

lolaschmola's review against another edition

adventurous challenging inspiring tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Drug use

Minor: Racial slurs and Bullying

liviamello's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Grief, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, and Racism

classicsandcocoa's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This book was wonderful. Any chess lover would be doing themselves a favour by picking this up. The suspense was incredible, and the visualization was on point. The character building was excellent, and while there were a few plot holes/cliffhangers, it was overall a read 100% worth it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, Cursing, Alcohol, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Drug use, and Addiction

Minor: Abandonment, Death of parent, Car accident, and Vomit

lethalflag's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Drug use

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Body shaming