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k_bridgeman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Drug abuse and Addiction
Moderate: Death
onceandfuturereads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I'm giving two stars because I was compelled to keep reading, but overall I was very disappointed.
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, and Drug use
Moderate: Car accident and Blood
Minor: Alcoholism
just_one_more_paige's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Alcohol, Car accident, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Sexual assault, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Grief
Moderate: Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, and Vomit
Minor: Sexual assault
slascano's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, Toxic friendship, and Death
readtotheend's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Addiction
keatynbergsten's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Sexual assault
caseys_chapters's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
The story is told from Irene’s POV and bounced between past and present. This works well to give an intimate look at Irene and Luce’s experience. You see their spectrum of highs and lows and deeply ache for them.
Absolutely nothing is sugarcoated in this book. The women experience tremendous loss, pain, and judgment. It’s also a moving portrait of the fine line between friendship and dependency. The ending is especially gut-wrenching with a somber, important message about closure and our healthcare system.
Bewilderness is a tough read, but I learned a lot and I’m grateful the @aspenwords Longlist put this in my radar.
Graphic: Drug use and Addiction
melizreads18's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Addiction and Drug abuse
annamariemapes's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Drug use, Addiction, and Death
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved Bewilderness. It was gritty, eye opening and heartbreaking. It’s the story of Irene and Luce, waitresses and best friends who are addicted to drugs. The picture of their addiction was realistic rather than glamorous, yet still sensitive rather than judgemental.
The story unfolds via intertwined then and now strands, letting us see how their friendship developed, how they managed to stop using, and the tragedy that sent them spiralling down again. Apart from drug addiction, this story shines a light on the realities of being female in a low wage job in small town America. Irene and Luce are deeply flawed and often their own worst enemies but I was constantly rooting for them, hoping against hope that they would prevail against the forces stacked against them. I admired the way they looked out for each other, whilst simultaneously recognising the dangers of their codependency.
If you want to understand drug addiction and how difficult it is to stay clean, and are looking to do so through a fictional lens, then I don’t think you could do better than this book. It left mesaddened and enraged (don’t want to give away spoilers but I learnt that not all treatment centres are equal - and some are very far from legitimate), and eager to read Karen Tucker’s next book.
Graphic: Addiction and Drug abuse
Moderate: Death