Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

19 reviews

mana_elena's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced

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

4.5

The person who recommended this book to me described it as "It's an easy read, not in the sense that it's simple but in the way that a conversation with someone you love is easy", and I think that's an excellent description for the book. I was intrigued by the fact that all but three chapters are written in third person, and about the choice for which characters got first person voice, and the strong effect of referring to one character as "you". 

I also thought it was interesting how the character we are first introduced to forms the through line for the story and especially how our initial perspective of her affects the other stories she appears in, adding some dramatic irony to other people's opinions of her. The novel doesn't have a main character, strictly speaking, but she is the main character, as far as I'm concerned.

I personally found the second to last chapter a compelling "end" to the story, but I think the author felt it was necessary/honest to have it end the way that it did. I can see how it rounds out the perspectives shared in the book. As a personal preference, though, stories set in the near future break my suspension of disbelief. Egan's predictions for the 2020's are pretty good in many respects and I think suit the tone and message of the book, I just didn't like having to "learn" a new setting in the last chapter.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Racism

rebeccadiv's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense medium-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

This book was very interesting to me because when I was reading it, I was engaged. But when I would put it down, I didn't feel particularly drawn to pick it up again. I'm not sure I would have finished it if I didn't have the second one on my TBR to read. I did enjoy following how all of the characters connected though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Sexual assault

Moderate: Self harm, Grief, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Addiction, and Suicide

Minor: War, Homophobia, and Racism

beetle4bugs's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Read this book for my english class. I heavily enjoyed it, and analyizing it’s themes was a highlight of reading. I bought a used copy and had a blast marking/underlining each bit that piqued my interest. Egan has an amazing writing style(s) and it’s given me inspiration for my own projects, 10/10 book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Drug use, and Grief

cgreg's review against another edition

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, and Suicide attempt

mylargirl's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad 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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Racial slurs, Drug use, Addiction, and Mental illness

yaelaed's review against another edition

Had to DNF after reading the article where a man details why he attempted to rape someone, said writer being a character we are made to sympathize with in an earlier story. I don't think every story needs morally upstanding characters but I just don't get how I'm supposed to be experiencing this story? Either way, it has not been a pleasant experience. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction and Sexual assault

Minor: Cancer, Mental illness, Rape, Suicide, Self harm, Drug abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

bootsmom3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Addiction, Body shaming, Gun violence, Suicide attempt, Death, Drug use, Terminal illness, Alcohol, Cancer, Classism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Suicidal thoughts

traa's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Rape

Moderate: Violence, Colonisation, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Suicide, Death, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Addiction, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Self harm, and Drug abuse

Minor: Medical content, Religious bigotry, War, Violence, Racism, Genocide, and Homophobia

phantomgecko's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Not a novel exactly but not just a collection of short stories. Densely interconnected snippets of different lives. Each chapter is written in a unique style that tempts me to call it some sort of long form poetry. Styles that stuck out being the one with all (the parentheses), the one in second person, and the one that was a powerpoint.

I didn't really care for the people and what they were doing, but I enjoyed the circles and knots that wove them all together. Like, wow, all these terrible people really couldn't have done it by themselves. I need a bulletin board covered in pins and string to illustrate how wildly connected these stories all are. Especially the ones that seem out of place, like where the PR lady does business with a war criminal.

Again, not just short stories. Though some of the chapters could be interesting stand-alones, the effect of all of them together is just top notch.

Also, the peeking into the future was fascinating. A new baby boom. The devolution of language. Wild stuff.

So, in conclusion, I really really liked this book's structure and premise and details and styles. But I didn't care about the characters and what they did nor about the music/punk/art/drug scene prominent in most of the characters' lives.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Addiction, Alcohol, Genocide, Mental illness, Racism, and Toxic relationship

fraise's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Homophobia, Alcohol, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Body shaming, Medical content, Misogyny, Racism, Suicide attempt, Genocide, Sexual assault, and Suicide

Minor: Eating disorder and Cancer