Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange

76 reviews

ninjamuse's review against another edition

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

amachonis's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Xenophobia

Minor: Cancer

rchlelizabeth's review against another edition

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

allegraallegra's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Racism, Drug abuse, and Drug use

ariel_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction

ortizzyy's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.75

Lots of different characters and voices. One story was written in 2nd person POV future tense, which was really confusing to keep track of. I really enjoyed this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse and Addiction

hollydyer328's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful informative sad slow-paced

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

3.5

I enjoyed coming back to the Red Feather / Bear Shield family and seeing where things left off since There There, in addition to getting the history behind this family. I enjoyed the inter-generational saga in the first part from the Sand Creek Massacre; it has vibes of Homegoing.  I actually wanted more from that section - a lot of the main events happen off the page - and more references back to that section once we're in the present day.

The second part focuses a lot more on the individual family and the struggles they individually face with trauma and addiction. That said, it is VERY interior and you are trapped in the mind of an addict(s) for multiple pages before there is any dialogue. It's pretty relentless and it makes the story line slow down. It continues to get darker and darker throughout, and while there is some hint at hope at the end, it's minor compared to the amounts of sadness.

Overall, Orange is a great writer and I liked any commentary he had on the Native experience, however there wasn't as much as in There There. it was nice to see something else from him, but I liked There There more. This is also won't be for everyone if you don't enjoy interior and unrelenting dark novels. Big content warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Suicide, and Addiction

liamliayaum's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

There are multiple POVs and the novel is split between the Sand Creek Massacre and present day. A meandering story of violence, of erasure, of trauma (both original and inherited), and addiction.

I don't quite grasp what I have read. Be warned that this book does tackle some heavy topics so check out content warnings! It was also a slow read for me, which I think was do to the long, verbose, and wandering sentences. 

If you are a fan of more plot, this book may not be for you, as it's more character driven with a tangential plot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction

Moderate: Violence, Racism, and Xenophobia

author2223's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Addiction

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

january_one's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

Gave me a lot of anxiety but well written

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, Addiction, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Self harm, Mass/school shootings, Death of parent, Grief, Drug abuse, Drug use, Blood, Cancer, Colonisation, and Alcoholism