Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Memorial by Bryan Washington

56 reviews

stellahadz's review

emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

This book started out slow for me, but it did start to pick up in the middle, during the chapters from Mike's POV. Although I wish the author had done a little more with the interesting premise of the book and explored the characters a bit more in-depth, it was an enjoyable read. Washington does a great job of capturing the bittersweet feeling that comes with knowing that a relationship is about to end. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Death of parent, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Grief

Minor: Homophobia and Alcoholism

emilysamsharrisreads's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.25

This novel felt almost poetic in its writing style, it is gorgeous. Memorial presented such the two main characters, queer men of colour in Texac, Mike and Benson as whole, flawed, loving, challenging characters grappling with grief, family separation (both in physical distance and emotional connection), and what to do when a relationship runs its course. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Cancer, Alcoholism, Addiction, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent

Moderate: Homophobia and Racism

20sidedbi's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Death of parent, and Grief

Moderate: Addiction, Classism, Homophobia, Sexual content, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Body shaming, Alcoholism, and Racism

philippmk's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Death, Death of parent, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Sexual content, Grief, and Domestic abuse

alexisgarcia's review

dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

this was very good and somehow wholesome. the ending was slightly unsatisfying to me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death, Sexual content, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Classism, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Medical content, Alcohol, Addiction, Infidelity, Cursing, Alcoholism, and Grief

spookyaz's review

challenging emotional reflective sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Homophobia, Death, Domestic abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Cursing, Addiction, Cancer, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse

himangi's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Medical content, Racism, Racial slurs, Grief, Sexual content, Dysphoria, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Cursing, Physical abuse, and Alcohol

readingwithcoffee's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

One hand I thought the fact this cast is basically entirely people of color (and at least all the characters of note are not white) and their problems don’t stem from racism was very refreshing. However the emotional repression and emotionally stunt aspects of the characters and just how miserable they are (though the writing is very good) both made the book very refreshing in some aspects while frustrating in others. 

Also one hand the two men the book is in the perspective of grew up in hostile environments and the main cast is their families so it could just be what they would find normalized but it was difficult to tell of the novel took domestic violence seriously especially violence involving throwing things? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Cancer, Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Terminal illness, Medical trauma, Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent, Racism, Physical abuse, Fatphobia, Death, Cursing, Racial slurs, Alcohol, Classism, Body shaming, and Abandonment

meremeth's review

emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

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

4.0

It starts slow, and so deadpan, i was worried. But I'm so glad I stick with it, it had me in tears by the end. 
I started off annoyed at both of the lead characters and ended with so much love for them.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Minor: Homophobia and Alcoholism

emmelinelc's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Cancer, and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Abandonment, Racism, and Sexual content