Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

If We Were Villains. Wenn aus Freunden Feinde werden by M.L. Rio

448 reviews

_hannahbo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book is for the Shakespearean Theatre Kids. The way I laughed and gasped and had my heart mangled in a truly, miraculous, theatrical way has me reeling. Might actually be my favorite book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Drug abuse, Addiction, and Alcohol

reneeravenlake's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Suicide, Drug abuse, Death, Addiction, Sexual content, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcohol

piper_'s review against another edition

mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Grief

Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol

Minor: Vomit and Addiction

komiification's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Definitely a good introduction to anyone interested in getting into literary fiction, particularly of the dark academia nature. A more fast-paced take on the same premise in The Secret History, yet distinctly stands apart from that story and takes on an artstyle of its own. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Drug abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Death, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Vomit and Eating disorder

Minor: Cursing, Alcoholism, and Sexual content

reading_bunny's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

My Ratings:
Writing: 5/5
Characters: 3/5
Plot: 4/5
Overall: 4/5

Favourite quote:

"You can justify anything of you do it poetically enough"
- Oliver Marks

Review/my thoughts:
This book took me a long time to read, partially because I went through and looked up every quote they mentioned, but also because the book was dense, the writing wasnt too hard to read through it was just a dense book.

I really enjoyed the story, and I thought it was paced nicely, only revealing informationto the reader as the characters learn about them which lends to the bizzying and disorienting feeling of the narrative.

The characters were all stellar, and Oliver's unreliability as a narrator was at times a little frustrating because I would have loved to learn a little more about the others but Oliver is fairly dismissive of a few if them for whatever his reasons. 

The relationship between

Oliver and James

was frustratingly beautiful to watch in all its agonizing glory as they danced around eachother and their feelings only realising too late that thwyr feelings were not only romantic but also requited.

Overall, this is not a book that I would re-read but it is one that I would recommend to someone who is very into Shakespeare and/or cannparse it well enough to understand the meaning of the prose, as well as those who are into the Dark academia aesthetic since this book is not only a corner stone of the genre/aesthetic but also because this is a lot like the secret history in its core expects 

In the end, an enjoyable experience and I'm glad I gave this book a chance and the time it deserved 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Murder, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Homophobia, Body shaming, Murder, Blood, Addiction, Death, and Sexism

Minor: Eating disorder, Suicide attempt, and Suicide

erin_x's review against another edition

mysterious sad 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Suicide

gondorgirl's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Drug abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Alcohol, Death, Murder, Blood, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Violence

marryjane's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death, Addiction, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

meaghanslibrary's review against another edition

reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The ending is kind of WTF. I recommend listening to this because it’s written like a play. 

The writing really created this universe of the school and I felt like I was there. I think I would have an even greater appreciation if I studied this in school and drew all the parallels to Shakespeare.

I’m still confused why they killed Richard, I’m not really understanding the motivation.

This was definitely an intriguing and fairly quick listen.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Alcohol, Murder, Death, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Blood, Addiction, and Toxic friendship

alittlegreenbean's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

3.5

a bit too similar to a secret history, unfortunately. most of the characters felt almost cookie cutter in similarity. however i did enjoy the new topic of theatre and shakespeare, it was very dramatic and fun with lots of foreshadowing which is exactly what i love in dark academia books. the second half of the book felt more unique and the ending was heartbreaking!!

the gasp i gasped when we found out james was alive😭 desperate to know if oliver decided to abandon meredith yet again or go find his first lover ugh i was rooting for james x oliver the entire book

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Eating disorder, Suicide, and Addiction