Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

56 reviews

kickitupanotch7's review against another edition

emotional funny 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

4.75

It took a couple of chapters for me to get into it but I’m glad I stuck with it. This book was funny and unique and had such tremendous character growth throughout the course of the summer. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction, Terminal illness, Cancer, and Car accident

Minor: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, and Medical content

avisreadsandreads's review

emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Grief

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Car accident, and Terminal illness

Minor: Addiction, Medical content, and Vomit

lynxpardinus's review

emotional funny hopeful reflective

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Grief, and Medical content

Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Cancer, Confinement, Drug abuse, Racism, Alcohol, Drug use, Terminal illness, Addiction, and Sexual assault

Minor: Child death, Gaslighting, Genocide, Abandonment, Colonisation, Suicidal thoughts, Body shaming, Outing, Bullying, Child abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual content, Stalking, Xenophobia, and Religious bigotry

znvisser's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

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

2.5

I was expecting some sort of character study with emotional highs and lows and compared to that this was a bit… smoothed out? Somewhat ironically, the plot has a typical Hollywood film structure with out-of-nowhere twists and an unnecessary enemy, except each problem blew over quickly without actually  being completely resolved? The historical family dynamics were underexplored while they could have added some depth. There were some profound moments with the children which I enjoyed but it seemed mostly written just to be tied up in a nice bow. This wasn’t my cup of tea but probably a satisfying feel-good story for those who do enjoy such pacing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction

Minor: Medical content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Cancer, and Car accident

elenushka8's review

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Car accident, and Death

emmehooks's review

emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

I thought this was going to be a fluffy book about all the white gay man stereotypes - I was very glad to be proven (mostly) wrong. Patrick Is still a little insufferable.  

So many beautiful reflections about the queer experience and genuine reflections of grief in all its forms. My only qualm is that some of the subplots just didn’t feel necessary (<Emory, court drama with Clara>). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Grief, Addiction, Death of parent, Cancer, and Car accident

Moderate: Drug abuse and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, and Eating disorder

thatswhatshanread's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

Well, it took me about 5 years to finish this novel due to a very annoying reading slump, but after finally hitting the story’s stride with the second half, I’m happy to report I did enjoy it. It felt like the very depth of a proper embrace—comforting but yet all consuming. It was not necessarily a funny book like I expected, but more of an introspective look at grief and the different ways we cope with it. In Guncle Patrick’s case that often did include comedy, but also fury and sadness and absurdity and care. Patrick’s relationship with his niece and nephew is the star of the story, but his relationship with everyone in his life, past and present, is unveiled through his love of and life with the children. 

This a book about family and dreams, and how you should never give up on either of them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Cursing, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Death, Alcohol, Death of parent, Car accident, Drug use, and Grief

Moderate: Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Homophobia, Blood, and Abandonment

marinabkat's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

2.5

While moments of whimsy and insight left me laughing and crying, it’s bogged down a lot by flop jokes that just indicate how baked into Hollywood gays that diet culture is. Also, below average handling of substance use. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Eating disorder, Drug use, and Alcohol

vistacanas's review

emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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? Yes

4.5

"Guncle Rule sweet sixteen: I want you to really live. To live is the rarest of things. Most people merely exist."

The Guncle is an intelligently written, funny, heartwarming and profound story of humans being human in the face of life's challenges. Exactly what I needed after laboring through a heavy classic!

The main challenges were death and grieving, so although very funny, the story was equally sad. 

Character development was as good as it gets. I could literally see and hear every character as if I was watching a movie. (And, I'm SURE it will be a movie.)

With very little exception, the dialogue was brilliant...sassy, snarky and sweet just like I love it. There were a few cheesy slips, but it almost felt as if they were intentional.  

There are SO many life-changing lessons packed in the pages of this book. But, instead of being preachy, you feel like you're down in the emotional trenches with people you love learning right alongside them.

Were there any shocks or surprises? No. It was definitely formulaic. But, the love of the characters and the pithy dialogue kept me engaged. And, there were enough options for an ending that when I was about 4/5's done, I couldn't put the book down until I turned the last page.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Alcohol

Moderate: Car accident, Abandonment, Addiction, and Cancer

Minor: Homophobia and Sexual content

stacy837's review

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Death

Moderate: Car accident, Cursing, Cancer, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Homophobia and Terminal illness