Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

399 reviews

emilynied'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This story is absolutely crazy and Flynn crafts an uncanny and eerie tone throughout the book which makes this story so captivating. The general mood of the novel is created from its characters, world and mysterious plot straight from the start. We have our protagonist, Camille Preaker, returning to her hometown of Wind Gap as a now big-city journalist covering a series of missing preteen girls and their consequent murders. She's a fractured character from the start, and as she gets caught up in the town and its inhabitants once more, her backstory is unraveled to reveal her own preteen sisters death decades ago and her history of self harm, which is grimly explored through the words she's carved into her body over the years. 

We also meet Camille's mother, who she impassively calls by her first name, Adora, and Camille's half-sister (also a preteen), Amma. As she is wrapped up in the psychological darkness of her family and their history once more, the plot thickens along with the mystery. The ending is shocking (like jaw-dropping dreadful) to say the least, and just when you think you've figured it out, Flynn hits you again with another bombshell. I watched the television show right after finishing the book and would also highly recommend. Both stories were gripping and I'm still thinking about their endings a week after finishing. I would, however, caution any readers - this book is extremely dark. Please check trigger warnings before reading!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Self harm, Physical abuse, Vomit, Grief, and Child death

emjames's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, Self harm, Rape, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Animal cruelty

shelbielehto'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This might be the most fucked up book I’ve ever read, but I could not put it down.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Self harm, Violence, Emotional abuse, Death, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Medical trauma, Bullying, Alcoholism, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, and Child abuse

cybervision's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Self harm, Child abuse, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Rape

mayaphobic's review against another edition

mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Mental illness, Death, Self harm, Alcoholism, Child abuse, and Terminal illness

Moderate: Mental illness and Vomit

Minor: Sexual content

dstensland's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Sexual violence, Alcohol, Eating disorder, Terminal illness, Child death, Body shaming, Sexual assault, Death, Alcoholism, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Vomit, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, and Kidnapping

dakotajade's review against another edition

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Vomit, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Death, Eating disorder, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Animal death, Bullying, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Homophobia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Violence

kinic's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Torture, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Violence, Vomit, Mental illness, Death, and Drug use

Moderate: Bullying, Alcohol, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, and Death

jenna_lynn's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.0

Tense and disturbing. I thought I had it figured out and then the final twist caught me by surprise.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Child abuse, Sexual content, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Drug abuse

rachelpcook's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This is the first of Gillian Flynn’s books that I’ve read, and I’ll certainly be picking up her others. 

Sharp Objects is an unsavory story, to say the least, but I can appreciate a protagonist that I truly cannot stand behind the actions or thoughts of. Partying with 13 year olds and essentially sexualizing their bodies, particularly in the case of Camille’s 13 year old sister, Amma, is difficult to stomach, not to mention her proclivity for drunk driving, which is a particularly personal subject matter for me. 

However, I came into this book expecting a somewhat gruesome plot, and it delivered just that. 
I think it captures Adora’s torture in a way that shapes the characters significantly throughout the novel, and it illustrates how Camille and Amma separately cope with being their mother’s daughters. Their feelings towards their mother are extremely complicated, craving the security that her affection provided them, while wanting to be as far away from her as possible at the same time. 
“This should be miserable, I murmured as I grabbed a tumbler. But underneath that, a thought: time alone with her! A leftover rattle from childhood. Get that fixed.” 

I thought I saw the ending of this book coming from an early point in the book, which I was only slightly right about. Gillian Flynn successfully built my sympathy towards Amma, leaving me to believe that Camille and her younger sister would rebuild a healthier life their mother had stolen from them, but the twist truly did have me surprised. While I did not enjoy Amma’s character in many tangible ways, I began to believe that her cruelness was simply a facade. 

Despite the gritty nature of the book, I could not put it down, and I’m looking forward to reading Gillian Flynn’s other works.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Child abuse, Drug use, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Self harm, and Suicide