Reviews tagging 'Self harm'

Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert

2 reviews

readwithchar's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Addiction, Self harm, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Violence, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Child death, and Grief

realmegano's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I absolutely LOVE this book. The characters are so likable and flawed, like Kara, Maya, Liam and Adrian. It's a dark and deeply disturbing at parts- at one part Kara describes how Maya killed herself by cutting her wrists up- but it was such a great book. I'd reccomend it to older young adult readers, because of the drug use and violence that happens throughout the story.

The 'ballads' are the stories written by Kara's friends (during high school) about the things that went wrong with their life, and their problems. Kara goes back to Chicago after being away for several years, after she almost died from a heroin overdose. At the end of the book, in present time, Kara finally figures out how to write her ballad.

I'd give it 10/5 stars if I could. It was that amazing.
I reread it yearly. I higly recommend this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Child death, Death, Addiction, and Self harm