Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos

26 reviews

minbyrnes's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.75

I have mixed feelings about this one because it's so slow, and it feels like nothing is happening even though so many things are happening, but I like it?? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism

Moderate: Physical abuse

Minor: Child death, Death, and Drug use

dmteralie's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

This book is really odd but kept me reading. It’s weirdly mundane for a fantasy book. Almost slice of life. I hated most of the characters except the main character. Not in that they were poorly written way but in that they are bad people way. It’s really more about world building than the characters themselves. I finished the book with more questions than answers and honestly excited to read the next one. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism

Moderate: Child death, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Murder, and Toxic friendship

godelewa's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Xenophobia, and Pregnancy

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Drug use, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Classism

hazeyfails's review against another edition

3.5

It took me a while to get interested because everything seems to be going so wrong. It was like reading "a series of unfortunate events" but this at least has a couple lighthearted moments. I almost left it on my DNF pile but decided to give it a second chance and now I think I'll actually pick up the rest of the series. It's dark in the lightest of ways.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

spiralbound89's review

adventurous lighthearted tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

Moderate: Trafficking

Minor: Drug use

flamesocks's review

adventurous medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Drug use, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Police brutality, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

e_riahh's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Drug use, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Pregnancy, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Blood, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal death, Death, Miscarriage, Death of parent, and Murder

chasinggrace's review

mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

I was so excited for the premise of this book, but unfortunately I was disappointed. The first installment of this series felt like a prequel with one of the most drab main characters I’ve ever read. Her development from meek and clumsy to angry and clumsy took 490 pages, and her relationship with Thorn moved at a similarly glacial pace. This book was dedicated to Ophelia understanding court politics and having her innocence completely shed, whereas I was expecting more - more interactions with Thorn, for the main character to have a quicker mind, for SOMETHING to happen. But it’s 500 pages of her getting pushed around like a rag doll. This truly could have been condensed, and I wish it had been. 

The world is fantastic, I will say. It reminds me of a cross between Studio Ghibli and Bridgerton. 


While I’m not completely put off from the series, it’ll be awhile before I decide if I want to continue with Ophelia’s story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

a_islandcriptid's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Police brutality, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicide, Violence, Xenophobia, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol

amartin48's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This book was everything I asked for, I didn’t quite understand what I was asking for, but I ended up really enjoying this read! The world building is mind bending and takes a lot of focus to sort out all the pieces. Of the three main locations in this book, each are VASTLY different. I loved the test of memory and comprehension this book gave me, and it builds suspense between characters beautifully. It took me 200pgs to really get into it, but I’m excited to read the next in the trilogy! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Infertility, Physical abuse, Blood, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship