Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis

49 reviews

juliaz's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense

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

4.5

Completely devoid of feeling. Apathy is contagious. As I read, I felt increasingly distant. It’s a horribly brilliant book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Rape, Sexual violence, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Racism and Eating disorder

Minor: Abortion and Animal death

schadi's review

dark emotional reflective tense 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use and Drug abuse

Moderate: Sexual violence and Sexual assault

awgeezmckenna's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Rape, Pedophilia, Death, Drug use, Addiction, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Sexual content, Alcohol, Drug abuse, and Blood

miasoon's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Violence, Addiction, Drug abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault

sjh541's review against another edition

dark sad medium-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

3.0

Not for me and that's ok. May suffer from a case of being so influential that it feels unoriginal when encountered 40 years after publication. Goes from having no plot to exploding in a shocking amount of violence and brutality that just...isn't really commented on. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse and Drug use

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Eating disorder

begla's review

dark sad fast-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

one of the most unique reading experiences i’ve had if only because when i read it i felt ‘less than zero’ myself. clay’s depressive, episodic narration is so evocative it makes the reader fall into the same fugue state experienced by our main character. clay spends his four weeks of christmas break in a stupor, knowing he hates his friends, everything they do, and still continues to do it- there isn’t anything else. ellis’ first book is by no means the great american novel but fictionalizes, if somewhat dramatically, the life led by those considered by tabloids and movies and sex tapes to be great americans

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Sexual assault, and Trafficking

Moderate: Rape, Racial slurs, and Pedophilia

katerina_l's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Car accident, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Biphobia, Blood, Cancer, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

ladybergart's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Rape, Abortion, Drug use, Mental illness, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Eating disorder

jackolope's review against another edition

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Gore

stefo's review against another edition

dark reflective sad 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

2.5

I'm not really sure how to rate this.
On one hand it felt really slow and not a lot of things really happened, the characters were incredibly unlikable and I didn't really care a lot for anybody.
On the other hand It was quite easy to read and I managed to read it in just 3 days without it feeling too tedious. The "disturbing" aspects didn't feel forced and generally I would say the end was somewhat satisfying. The structure was a little interesting, with the whole flashbacks thing and the repeating motifs.

Overall, neither impressed or disappointed, can absolutely see how someone would HATE this book but I'm just indifferent to it, The epitome of a 2.5 star book for me. It's meh. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, and Addiction

Moderate: Alcohol, Animal death, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual content

Minor: Cancer, Child death, and Abortion