Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Edinburgh by Alexander Chee

7 reviews

merandacree's review

dark sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Grief, Pedophilia, Body horror, Gun violence, Blood, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Child abuse, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

leah_alexandra's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

I don't have much more to say about this book other than, "wow." I thought the ending was a little bit of a weak spot, but overall, astoundingly sad and beautifully written.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Terminal illness

drizzlybear's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Alcohol, Vomit, Terminal illness, and Racism

porchrailreads's review

dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

As the plague spread through Edinburgh, portions of the city were buried. Entire streets, buildings, vaults hidden beneath the surface. Like the city it was named after, #Edinburgh by @cheemobile contains hidden depths within its pages.
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When Edinburgh begins, we meet Fee, a young Korean-American boy growing up in Maine. He’s joins a boys choir where he meets Peter, his best friend and first love. Fee quickly draws the attention of the choir director, becoming amongst the first to be sexually abused by Big Eric. Fee is afraid to tell, even when it becomes clear Peter is next. Fee tries to forgive himself for his silence even after Big Eric’s arrest, but this becomes next to impossible when Peter takes his own life. 
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Burdened still by the events of his past, Fee tries to move on. He builds a life for himself, finds friends, and starts teaching near his hometown. There he meets a student bearing an alarming resemblance to Peter. Their encounter reopens wounds, forcing Fee to face his past head on.
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If you’ve watched my stories over the last few days, you’ll know I had a very big reaction to this novel. It’s beautifully written, lyrical and melodic, metaphors expertly crafted to illicit strong images and reactions. Shortly after finishing the novel, I’d read that the author used his own past as the basis for this novel, it’s writing a means of catharsis. The inclusion of his experience makes Fee seem real. He is the most complex and complete character I’ve read in a while. Chee’s discourse on the residual effects of trauma, the enduring self-blame, the prolonged sense of loss is necessary.
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If I’d written this review last night, I would’ve said the only issue I had with the novel was the end. And while I’m still not thrilled with the ending, after sleeping on it I can better understand. Hurt people hurt people.
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I truly recommend this, but be advised the trigger warnings are real: trauma, sexual assault, pedophilia, self-harm, drug abuse, violence.
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⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

manarnia's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This book is...a lot. It's beautifully written but sometimes hard to follow. It's very dark, but also very compelling. I don't regret reading it, but I also wouldn't generally recommend it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Murder and Racial slurs

incigiru's review against another edition

reflective slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death and Drug use

Minor: Child abuse, Homophobia, and Suicidal thoughts

tabitha_isabelle's review

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Homophobia, Mental illness, Medical content, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence