Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Bliss Montage by Ling Ma

17 reviews

siebensommer's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

favourites: oranges, returning, office hours 

She wanted a homecoming, whatever that meant. Maybe it was to be overwhelmed by déjà vu, a staggering tsunami wave.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Racism, Emotional abuse, and Medical content

emweinert's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, Eating disorder, and Sexual violence

asolis's review against another edition

Some interesting ideas but too tedious. Stopped during the 4th story of 8.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Rape

odrib's review against another edition

reflective fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Infidelity, Racism, Pregnancy, and Xenophobia

quesatiya's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Physical abuse, Drug abuse, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, and Racism

Moderate: Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Body horror, Eating disorder, and Body shaming

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and Cancer

mondovertigo's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Misogyny, Pregnancy, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia

Minor: Eating disorder

eena's review against another edition

dark informative reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• 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

Reading this made me want to reread Severance again, this is more of a 3.5 rating and here are my reasons:

• Ling Ma’s main characters are usually fascinating that she goes beyond the usual immigrant stories that we know of and I truly love how she presented the relationships of her characters here
• This reminded me of On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous and how for Asian people, especially immigrants, the English language is power and a status symbol
• I LOVE THE TITLE SO MUCH it’s the most realistic part of this collection
• What made me rate it a little lower than most of the reviews here was that I expecting the stories to go beyond just the fantasy of everything because I feel like some bits were confused in becoming a fantasy or a surrealist story. I also thought that it will be unique that each story will be interlaced with each other and this also disappointed me somehow. 

This is truly a high recommendation this year and I cannot wait for Ling Ma’s future works. Big thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for the arc! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse and Domestic abuse