Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

The Guest by Emma Cline

13 reviews

vezza's review against another edition

adventurous dark sad medium-paced

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

3.5

Entertaining and quick read, though a bit anxiety inducing to watch the main character go from bad to worse. 
It needed a stronger ending however, as you end up wondering what it was all for.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Drug abuse and Suicidal thoughts

caroisreading's review

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

2.75

This is like a Gen Z version of Homer's Odyssey, where we follow a woman named Alex in her 20s through a series of missteps and a troubled cast of strangers, each with their own trauma or threats. Over the course of a few days, she is trying to get back to her boyfriend / sugar daddy, with no transportation or phone or money.

I was stressed reading this, and truly despised everyone in this book. There were out-of-character moments when Emma Cline wrote really thought-provoking commentary on elitism, relationships, abuse and sexism, but they were moments of clarity detached from the mess that was Alex, stumbling through her journey with pain killers, booze, sex and fear. She's running from an abusive man wanting his money back, while running towards her "safest" option, another man who has money, a vicious cycle. 

There were lots of references to Alex thinking she was a ghost, as she moved through life as an accessory, never spoken to, and quite literally looked through. She survived by playing these strangers, by blending in, and appealing to them with sex and pleasant company. Race wasn't a factor in this, and I assumed she and everyone around her were white (lots of "blond hair," "Germanic" descriptions), so this made her deception even more frictionless as she entered these social circles. 

I closed this book and was like, yep, got it, I'm depressed and slightly annoyed. And I've been here before with other "messed up pretty girl" narratives.

This is worth a read if you want something darker, grimy, reflective of today's imbalanced relationships and wealth disparity.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Addiction, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Physical abuse, Rape, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship

tashtasher's review against another edition

challenging 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Mental illness

Moderate: Suicide, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Blood, Car accident, and Bullying

drowsyowl's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Classism, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Addiction, Mental illness, and Grief

Moderate: Sexism, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Trafficking

maryclaire92's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense fast-paced

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

5.0

A delectable train wreck that I could not put down. Gobsmacked at the sheer audacity of protagonist Alex and the way she both floats and jackhammers through life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship and Sexual content

Moderate: Drug abuse, Car accident, Cursing, Drug use, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol

e11en's review against another edition

dark reflective tense fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, and Sexual content

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Car accident

channamason's review against another edition

dark funny sad 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

3.5

this is a fucking weird book. this truly the top tier of unreliable narrators. this was very hard to get into as I didn’t understand the meandering plot. however as the book continues something extremely sinister seems to be ever boiling under the surface and it is very unsettling. and then i couldn’t stop reading. good for fans of the divisive film Saltburn and My Year of Rest and Relaxation for sure.

i could see this being a good episodic series- each group she leaves in the wake a different episode kind of like Swarm

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Blood, Abandonment, and Suicidal thoughts

raisinreads's review against another edition

reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.75

The reviews that are like "the main character isn't likable" like yeah?? So many stories and ideas in the world would not be told if the main characters were only allowed to be good ppl.. y'all eat this shit up when it's a man. 

The main character allowed for interesting commentary on the concessions ppl allow in their relationships and the lack of existence within never truly letting ppl know you & never truly forming close relationships. 

This is my second book from Emma Cline and I really enjoy her writing style.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content

lindsayerin's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

alanabenjamin's review

dark mysterious tense fast-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

3.5

This book was enjoyable enough.
Great one-liners. Great tension.
An extremely good character study of the various people who summer in the Hamptons and the ppl who are desperate to be there.

It's one of those books where nothing is happening but things are moving forward.

I really like an unreliable deeply flawed female protagonist but this one wasn't giving as the kids say... 
I will literally rewriting plot points in my head. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use

Moderate: Sexual content

Minor: Suicidal thoughts