Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

How to Stop Time by Matt Haig

4 reviews

thehollyking's review against another edition

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

1.75

This book was much like Tom Hazard's life, longer than it should've been. It felt very context heavy, I would say the actual plot only spanned about 1/3 of the book. It could've been so much more condensed and said exactly the same thing. Most of the chapters were just fluff. The actual plot was ok. 
I've never been a fan of stories that tell you in a sentence at the end the thought or moral you're meant to be taking away from the book, and this does just that. It kind of felt like the moral came first and the plot came second.
It wasn't a bad book. It was just fine. 
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thebowandthebook's review against another edition

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

3.75

I enjoyed the book, it was sweet and cute.
minor gay relationship, MC gets depressed and describes suicidal thoughts and getting to the brink. The antagonist chooses death and is left to his fate. 
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mj0's review against another edition

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challenging dark 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? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I love Matt Haig. I loved the Midnight Library. Which meant that when I was gifted How To Stop Time, I was eccentric. It seemed like an interesting concept, but I didn't pick it up at the time because, well, i was afraid. After The Midnight Library, I was shook. Haig compiled a beautiful story about mental health, and made me think. Like, truly made me think. Haig is a philosopher, but it is so rare that someone can so artfully put the truths of life into words. How To Stop Time was similar but contemplated a different idea. Loneliness. Sadness. Depression. Manipulation. Vulnerability. And fear. A fear of loving and being loved. But also a fear of being without purpose and fulfilment. This book was a reminder for taking life as it goes. Not being careless, of course, but not getting so caught up about the past or the future for you to forget about the present. To stop you taking a leap of faith. To stop holding your breath. To love freely and entirely.
I can't wait for this brilliant novel to be turned into a movie (apparently starring Benedict Cumberbatch), though unfortunately, it's 2022 and it was first pitched to be a movie in 2017. So will we get a movie adaptation? I don't know. But I really, really hope so. 
Though I don't think you can ever express this kind of novel in a movie in a way it does it justice.
I highly recommend, to all types of readers.
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meetmeinthebookstore's review

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

5.0

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