Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange

38 reviews

lizmart88's review

challenging dark emotional 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

3.25

I loved There There and was excited about this sequel. I had a lot of trouble getting into this novel. The ancestor backstories were interesting, but they felt so disconnected from the rest of the novel. I was impatient to get back to the characters of There There to see how they were doing. Part of me wishes the ancestor stories were more interspersed with the present day. When we got to the present day, I really enjoyed the stories, even as they broke my heart. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt and Drug use

ukponge's review

challenging 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? No

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Gun violence, Genocide, Death, Death of parent, Mass/school shootings, Grief, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Colonisation

sydlio's review

emotional informative reflective sad

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Addiction, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Sexual assault

greylovesbroccoli's review

challenging emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Self harm, Death, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Cancer

Minor: Gun violence, Sexual assault, and Mass/school shootings

kailaelders's review

slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

“Simply lasting was great for a wall, for a fortress, but not for a person.” (247)

This was excellent, it gave so much more context and meaning as a follow up to There, There. I love that it has two such distinct parts between the early lineage of this family and coming back to the aftermath of the powwow in the first book. It is dark and heavy and emotional, but also enlightening and heart-warming. I'm so impressed by not only Orange's skill at writing, but also his gift at crafting and interweaving so much symbolism, plot points, language, and pacing into a cohesive larger world. I think these little details are missing from a lot of other books I pick up and this easily filled that void. I also want to give a shout out to the brilliant yet subtle cover design, with its illustrations functioning as both the "Stars" of the family name/history, but also the bullet holes (both literal and the trauma and violence they represent). Read both of these books, but definitely check for trigger warnings beforehand!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use and Addiction

Minor: Gun violence, Suicide, Mass/school shootings, and Suicidal thoughts

kmcfall's review

dark sad tense medium-paced

3.0

This book, like There, There, was really bad for my mental health. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Addiction, Cancer, Drug abuse, and Drug use

lillianreadsalot's review

challenging 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcoholism, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Racism

Minor: Mass/school shootings

caitgiam's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad slow-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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Self harm, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, and Grief

Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Minor: Car accident and Death of parent

ninjamuse's review

challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Self harm, Genocide, and Racism

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Rape

rchlelizabeth's review

challenging reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Cancer, Addiction, Drug use, and Drug abuse