Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

A casa by Toni Morrison

18 reviews

gaeliloveweiss's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Gun violence, Murder, Medical trauma, War, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Violence, Sexual harassment, Racism, Police brutality, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Death, and Medical content

mamaofperfectpayton's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad 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? Yes

3.75

The story was metaphorical, so the Reading Group Guide at the end was very helpful in bringing the story together.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Death, Child death, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Alcohol and Alcoholism

Minor: War

michaelion's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-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

3.25

Very fast read. Would've been faster if I didn't have finals rn. Wonderful writing as always. I just couldn't resonate with this one.

I know the takeaway isn't "War is so bad it can briefly turn you into a pedophile" but that's all I keep thinking. :/

If not for that my rating may have been a little higher.

Side note unrelated to my review mostly just related to my observing of Toni Morrison's books, so many of her female characters are ambivalent or numb towards sex. I wonder why that is.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Racism, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, War, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Police brutality, Classism, Animal cruelty, Violence, Misogyny, and Pedophilia

Minor: Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, and Fire/Fire injury

lenjaminbang's review against another edition

dark inspiring mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Murder, War, and Violence

Moderate: Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal cruelty

rubym55's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Hate crime, Death, Classism, Child abuse, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Racism, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Blood, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, War, Violence, Slavery, Murder, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Rape, Death of parent, Torture, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness

Minor: Infertility and Animal cruelty

senevilla's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Medical trauma, Death, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Racism, Sexual assault, War, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, and Pedophilia

jaan's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

4.5

Short, but a really powerful book. And sad. Circular narrative.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Medical trauma

Moderate: Trafficking, Forced institutionalization, and Violence

Minor: Alcoholism

Be warned that this book deals explicitly with eugenics, post-traumatic stress disorder (Frank is a Black veteran returning from Korea), child neglect, and violently racist institutions and behaviors in Jim Crow America. Lynchings are mentioned briefly throughout and graphically described towards the end.

ajlct's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-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

This one's squarely in the 'glad I read it, but probably will never read it again' category. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, and War

Moderate: Abortion and Alcoholism

carmentxx's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective fast-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? It's complicated

3.75

this was a surprising twist ending. for such a short book this packs a punch. the characters are quite fleshed out and the exploration into each of their lives is interesting. however, the synopsis about this being completely about a veteran is incorrect. true, a lot of the story is about his trauma and his inability to cope with it, but i mostly enjoyed the women of whom were fleshed out in this story. they were much more likeable characters and much easier to root for. maybe that’s the point of looking into a traumatised veteran, but there is certainly something which makes frank money an unforgivable character. overall, i wish this novella were longer. morrison writes beautifully but this novella is not enough to give credit to the characters in this story. 

i wish there was more exploration into frank’s confession of shooting the korean child. it just felt a bit like a shock twist with no real consequences to his final confession. if it was such a big confession it should’ve done something to him when he confessed it. it’s also just.. weird. i don’t know. what a weird thing to use as a twist.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Racism, and Death

Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, and Sexual assault

remie's review against another edition

dark reflective relaxing 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Colonisation, Medical trauma, Murder, Religious bigotry, War, Child death, Classism, Death, and Racism

Moderate: Confinement, Death of parent, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, and Domestic abuse