Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

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

231 reviews

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

candiemarsh's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

3.0

I liked the writing and premise of the story, but the conclusion was a bit of a letdown for me. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death

Minor: Alcoholism, Suicide, Homophobia, Drug use, and Murder

bookbrenna's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Bullying, Blood, and Murder

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

elliebasta's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Alcoholism

Minor: Suicide

emradzie's review against another edition

dark tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Suicide, Drug abuse, and Violence

kit_kove's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Drug use, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Alcohol

kgreer's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense medium-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

Wow. The emotions that I am feeling right now are hard to describe. The style of writing, the plot, the ending…it was “good as the best”.

I read this from a borrowed copy from my library and just bought it for my personal collection because of how much I loved it. 

The most tragic thing about this book is that I can’t read it again for a first time and experience the thrill anew. I will be thinking about this book for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexual content and Murder

Minor: Alcoholism and Biphobia

annakh16's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

This was a fast, easy and intriguing read. 

The crime/thriller aspect and the unlikeable characters (I thought) were a bit out of my reading comfort zone and it turns out that I was right those things are not my favourite, so quality aside, this partly informed my personal rating. It sure was fascinating though and I especially enjoyed the book‘s take on the intense (cult-like, as Oliver would have it) nature of Dellecher school and how it impacts the obsessive emotions of its students. There was less focus on the mystery as such, but because it made space for those kind of elaborations, I only half minded. 

A lot of the Shakespeare quotes and references flew right over my head, which is a shame cause there are a lot of them. You can enjoy the book without knowing much Shakespeare or being very good at understanding him - I did - but for me, the quotes that hit, they hit hard, so I assume it adds a lot to the story. 

The major plot point -

the characters deciding to just leave Richard for dead

- felt somewhat unearned, partly because the key events leading up to this had happened in the space of only a few months. The more you get to know the characters, the more their decision makes sense (from their pov), but I still thought it was extreme and hence somewhat unbelievable. 

Re the other major plot point -

James and Oliver: this really only developed for me in the second half of the book. I really want to go back now and see if I was just incredibly oblivious for the first half of the book. But it means the final twist of Oliver actually being in prison for James, and them potentially getting together again at the very end (?), was an interesting surprise

. 

The writing was vivid. There were some great lines (they won’t make much sense without context but I‘ll hide them just in case):

“There is no comfort like complicity“. ; “He was handsome the way you think of the devil as handsome - forbiddingly so.“ ; “Eighteen and vulnerable, I‘d felt for the first time the extraordinary dread of wanting something desperately and watching it slip through my fingers.“ ; “But that is how a tragedy like ours or King Lear breaks your heart - by making you believe that the ending might still be happy, until the very last minute.“

(among others).

Ultimately, it‘s a story I won’t forget for a while and it makes me excited to explore more dark academia, though books less focused on crime maybe.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Violence, Drug use, Drug abuse, Addiction, Physical abuse, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Gore, Eating disorder, Sexual content, and Suicide

maddiebennet's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious 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

4.75

I don't really know if this is a 5 stars or a 4.75, it kinda depends on the day but its been a week since I finished this and I CANT STOP THINKING ABOUT IT!! I am so unwell I can't even begin to explain it. They're so me fr
I am really inlove with Oliver Alexander and specially James, I can't fr

I am in a state of constant denial literally Oliver and James got fucking married I don't have a single doubt Im not even kidding like I just KNOW James is alive and he knows Oliver is going to find him because they know each other in a way that only them can understand. They are soulmates but they are also more than that. shut up I need like a sequel or something IM BEGGING M L RIO

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Alcoholism, Blood, Drug use, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Suicide

Moderate: Addiction, Sexual harassment, and Sexism