Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Guest by Emma Cline

22 reviews

cholliworth's review against another edition

dark funny reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use and Alcohol

Moderate: Car accident and Sexual content

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

raphynette's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.0

Decisions. Decisions. All of them wrong. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Car accident and Alcohol

david_brent's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad tense slow-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

3.0

This book is missing two important things, IMO:
 

 
1. We never find out any detail regarding Alex' history with Dom. What did she do? How much money does she owe him? What exactly is their relationship? All the vague hints seem to set up a big reveal... which never happens.

2. A decent ending. We're left hanging, as if there's going to be a sequel. I don't think there's going to be a sequel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Confinement, Drug use, and Alcohol

Minor: Car accident

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

danajoy's review against another edition

dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

1.5

This is one of those books were nothing really happens. In fact it ends right before what you would imagine the climax to be. The protagonist is aloof, unlikeable, self destructive and completely self-serving. 
It's unsatisfying, uninteresting and meandering but some people really like this sort of slice of life story with a problematic, sad girl protagonist. 

The relationship with a minor in particular left a sour taste in my mouth. 

I put it on my 24 in 2024 list which was the main reason I didn't just DNF. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Mental illness, Addiction, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

This is one of those nothing happens, just vibes, kind of books. The main character, Alex, is insufferable and still pretty unknown to the reader by the end. I didn't like any of the supporting characters either. It doesn't have a dramatic climax. There is a long build to an event that gets abuptly cut off without any clear payoff.

cottagecoregrandma's review against another edition

mysterious 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

4.0

Not as tense as others have described to me. I never felt tense until the last two chapters, however this book was a wild and fun ride

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship

Minor: Domestic abuse

dyer's review against another edition

dark reflective sad

• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Classism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Alcohol, Stalking, Rape, Addiction, Body shaming, Drug use, and Mental illness

aliyachaudhry'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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Car accident, Drug use, and Sexual content

Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, and Eating disorder

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