Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

16 reviews

deathmetalheron's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Infidelity, and Violence

Minor: Drug use

jess02448's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cursing

Minor: Infidelity, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, and Drug use

tbd24's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I rather like this series, this is the second time i’ve read it and there are just really great turns of phrase in the prose. I love world building and this book embraces that times three, the magic system is cool and complicated and the characters are never just good people. Quentin is shitty and obnoxious but like what 17 yr old “gifted kid” isn’t? There’s a few questionable moments, the author loves to make women suffer viscerally a little too much in my opinion, but at least he still remembers to make them people. Overall, it’s a good read and an interesting series

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Death, Addiction, and Alcohol

Minor: Racism, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Drug use, Sexism, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Homophobia, Excrement, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pedophilia, Child death, Ableism, Suicide, Misogyny, Cursing, and Violence

lms33's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Grief

Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Drug use, and Sexual content

Minor: Pedophilia

hyperashley's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Drug use

daretodream03's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Sexism

Minor: Ableism and Homophobia

medini_l's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Animal cruelty, and Alcohol

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Body shaming, Death, Drug use, Sexism, Bullying, Cursing, and Violence

kyriross's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

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

3.5

The story itself is amazing. The magic system is well realized, the elements of the story are wildly creative, and the prose is exceptional.  The themes and morals of the story are clear, but masterfully woven throughout so that they aren't obnoxious or pedantic. 

The issue is primarily with the pacing. The rapid shifts between chapter-long detail of one event and single-sentence passage of time tends to give a reader whiplash. There also just wasn't enough- of Brakebills or

Fillory

. The other sections were good and valuable, but I wish we had more time in those places. 

The characters are also extremely non-diverse, and uniformly unlikeable. It would have been nice to have at least one character who isn't deeply unlikable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Drug use, Pedophilia, and Drug abuse

zohannah's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Drug use, Death, Alcohol, Blood, Alcoholism, and Violence

jmeier's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I would give this book a five if it weren't for the mild to moderate ableism, racism, and overall attitude of white privileged. The characters are all white. The setting is all white. The narrator and protagonist us multiple disability slurs and is deeply judgemental of neurodiverse coded characters. I love the story, but it reads like something from the 80s at points, not 2009.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, and Classism

Moderate: Fatphobia, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Mental illness, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Alcoholism, Death, Gore, Sexism, Sexual content, Addiction, Alcohol, Biphobia, Misogyny, and Religious bigotry