Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'

Pretend I'm Dead by Jen Beagin

9 reviews

laurakfinnegan's review against another edition

dark funny reflective fast-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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Self harm, Pedophilia, Drug use, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Toxic relationship

starsandgutters's review

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

I love female protagonists who feel like they’re constantly toeing the precipice of entirely unhinged.

More vibes than plot, and most of the plot tends to be the unfolding of other people’s lives that Mona is just a witness to, nicely enforcing how stagnant and stuck she feels in her life.

Very strong narrative voice, and some absolute BANGERS of lines in here.

Darkly humorous, quietly perceptive, keenly human in the grittiest ways. 

Would have rated this higher for the writing, but minus points for unnecessary use of slurs and racism - kept waiting for a consequence to this but it never came, and personally feel there’s never a need for authors to be throwing around slurs they can’t reclaim.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual content, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Racial slurs

arianaf's review against another edition

dark funny reflective 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

4.0

"Usually she enjoyed a good oven cleaner buzz, but just then she wanted to pull a Sylvia Plath."

Who else read this because of the big hole left by Big Swiss? This one, way darker, darker themes, darker characters but the same kind of humour and mundane descriptions of a day-to-day life of a mentally unstable woman, that (hopefully) you can't relate in many levels, but you're still rooting for her.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Self harm, Drug use, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Child abuse and Suicidal thoughts

annajoyreed93's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny 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? It's complicated

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, and Suicide

siriface's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Drug use, Drug abuse, Incest, and Mental illness

jadams89's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Addiction, and Child abuse

Moderate: Drug abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Rape, Incest, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual assault

Minor: Vomit, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Cancer, and Blood

elsebeok's review against another edition

dark funny lighthearted sad fast-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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Incest, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness

Minor: Excrement and Vomit

trelly's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective sad tense medium-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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Drug abuse

This novel reads well but her second novel reads fast. I recommend reading her sequel to this book.

kelly_schertle's review

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Incest, Pedophilia, Self harm, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Cancer, Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, and Vomit