Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney

92 reviews

junji_ito_hoe's review against another edition

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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I picked this book up by chance. I was intrigued by Salley Rooney after hearing about her beloved writing style. Normal people was on my radar, however, when I attended the books store I saw that Beautiful World, Where Are You was on sale and this short but enjoyable experience began. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I stayed up all night one night in an attempt to finish this before my eyes grew drowsy around 3 am. I was invested in the relationships between the characters from chapter 3. In addition to this, I found that at times the character dynamics fell flat and came off as superficial and recycled. Alice was my least favorite character because she was very pretentious and exasperating at times, however, I can see her appeal and how others might relate to her.

Towards the end, Alice appeared to be on a high-horse believing that she was superior to our other main characters and their mediocre jobs while also believing that her life is significantly harder than Eileen's when the circumstances are not comparable in that form

. Simon was a confusing character because it was unclear how Rooney was attempting to portray him…Creepy or Caring? I also felt that Felix was an underdeveloped character and he felt more like the dumb character who is just around to say something smart every once in a while. The emails every second chapter were too over-polished to be believable as two friends talking. I found the topics discussed in the emails interesting because they gave us as readers insight into who Eileen and Alice are and their motivations. Overall I did enjoy this book and I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys contemporary fiction and doesn’t mind the sexual content.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcohol

Minor: Death, Drug use, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

storykath's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective tense slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Sexual content

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Blood, Abortion, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

anima_vestaa's review against another edition

inspiring reflective fast-paced

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

4.75

A lovely, inspiring and beautifully realistic book about finding meaning and beauty in a cold modern world. The conclusion of the book is disputable imo and I would have loved a bit more diversity w the characters. Still manages a great rating for the inspiring remarks on the modern world and the great writing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, and Suicide

Minor: Alcoholism

samvansam's review against another edition

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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Abortion, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

xenamollie's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Chronic illness, Drug use, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

saphirabloom's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Abortion, and Pregnancy

abbiejolene's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• 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

5.0

I’m continually amazed at how little Sally Rooney has to say in order to deeply understand her characters. Rooney’s writing has been criticized for being about “nothing” with conversations that feel awkward and empty. But that’s exactly what makes me fall in love with her stories—they are complex in their simplicity, and isn’t that life itself?

This book is about relationships, as her other books are, but what struck me the most with this novel is the dialogue on relationship to self. As Alice and Eileen navigate through their opinions on climate change, religion, sex, and friendship, through their romantic relationships and perceived successes and failures, what they are really analyzing is the world and their place in it.

Messy, complicated, frustrating… this novel is a stunning portrait of the search for self in this beautiful world. Five stars, as my love for Rooney’s writing holds strong.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness

Minor: Drug use, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

jameslyons's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, Mental illness, and Pregnancy

carlay's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective relaxing medium-paced

• 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

5.0

Are you kidding me? Sally Rooney wins again. Two for two. I need to read Conversations With Friends soooonnn.

I mean this book was pretty saucy. And it’s very character driven over plot. So that might not be someone’s particular cup of tea. Reader be warned. That being said, what I loved so much about this book (and Normal People too) is how Rooney manages to create something so relatable. So many of the themes about friendship and life in this book just really hit home for me. This book just was so satisfying and left me feeling so good at the end. I’m just obsessed.

This is my favorite quote: “And I want that: to prove that the most ordinary thing about human beings is not violence or greed, but love and care.”

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Mental illness and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Drug use

A lot of graphic sexual content.

elemonte's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual content, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Cursing and Alcohol

Minor: Drug use, Medical content, and Pregnancy