Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

82 reviews

trollmila's review against another edition

4.75

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I found there was a few times where I felt there was too much foreshadowing. I finished it with a heavy (positive) feeling in my torso. It was interesting and engaging and I love the expats so much. The main character never gets named and I love that choice.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Vomit, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Alcohol, Colonisation, Deportation

sarahholliday's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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I think there are several things to like about this book—the heartwarming relationships between the "expats," the often humorous results of walking, talking anachronisms in the modern era, the honest depiction of what it's like to become infatuated with someone.

But overall I think this needed a lot more editing. The story can't quite figure out what it wants to be—I'm all for blending genres, but I think it needs to be done with a bit more intention and finesse than happens here. Similarly, the writing feels inconsistent. Some passages, particularly the dialogue between the protagonist and Graham and the other expats, feel natural, but there are significant portions that feel very overwritten. I think the story could've been a solid 10-15 pages shorter if someone had gone after all the metaphors with a red pen. 

Ultimately I'm just not sure The Ministry of Time really succeeds at any of the things it's trying to do, so it felt quite unsatisfying in the end.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder

Moderate: Animal death, Racism, Alcohol

martinemde's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny mysterious 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

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Loving, sad, and at moments dark. An examination of “what if” that is somehow able to make you laugh at the exact wrong times.

The excellent narration and consistent voices made the audiobook a special treat.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence

Moderate: Cannibalism, Murder

Minor: Death, Racism, Sexism, Xenophobia, Vomit, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Alcohol

While most of this is minor and par for the course of a spy/romance novel, it discusses in first person terms the conditions during a failed Arctic mission that is presented to have devolved into cannibalism, which I had trouble reading. Skip chapter 8 intro and you won’t miss any of the main story if this is a concern.

meghanm404's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous challenging emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Death, Grief, Gaslighting

Minor: Drug use, Misogyny, Racism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Xenophobia, Blood, Islamophobia, Trafficking, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism

lemonwrlds's review against another edition

2.5

adventurous reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Minor: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

schubertan's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Sexual content

Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Cannibalism, Alcohol, Colonisation

philosopher_kj's review against another edition

2.75

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Sexual content, Violence, Cannibalism

Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, Gore, Blood, Vomit, Alcohol, War

goeagles91n's review against another edition

1.25

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I cannot understand how this book is so popular. It tries to be every genre (romance, science fiction, historical fiction, mystery) without effectively being even one genre. It offers way too many details during the most disturbing parts of the book at the end and uses some of the most well-worn time travel tropes indiscriminately, throwing in plot twists that seem used only to try and distinguish this book from other time travel books (and make up for the whole “this book is about time travel and makes no sense, so we won’t bother trying to explain it to you” disclaimer in the first 10 pages, which is nothing if not lazy writing). The conclusion makes no sense and answers no questions, and the main protagonist somehow both is impacted severely by generational and current day traumas that define her character throughout the book and somehow “cured” via one internal monologue that lasts slightly over one page in the last five pages. The protagonist also bashes therapy multiple times, which I found hugely distasteful.

I should end with this books sole redeeming qualities, which were: (1) the author’s investigations into the multifaceted nature of identity, which were unfortunately too scarce throughout the book to make a read worthwhile; and (2) the commentary on immigration, which while shoehorned in felt important for the year 2025.

In short, don’t waste your time, and consider rewatching Dr. Who if you want to ponder time travel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Cannibalism, Murder, Lesbophobia, Outing, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail

sjabw13's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual content, Blood, Cannibalism, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, Deportation

singsinthecar's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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I found myself laughing at the conversations between the characters and the observations of the expats. It was more layered than I expected, with twists I certainly did not see coming. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Cannibalism

Minor: Death, Murder, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail