Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

The Comeback by Ella Berman

16 reviews

jackieyvette's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.75

This was a beautifully written. Heavy topics and a lot of emotional parts throughout.
Everyone in the book is flawed. From Grace to Esme to Dylan to Laurel to the parents and everyone beyond that, but even the flawed are great to read about here. 
I loved Grace and Esme so much they felt like people I knew. Their mother was such a shit mom, but such an interesting character. Laurel was such a great friend but had so many moments where I wanted to shake her and say this isn't right and you know it. Dylan was somehow simultaneously a great and horrible husband. Everyone else sucks. 

I wish Able would have died in that car accident and I wish Emelia was with them when it happened.

Crying score: cry-angle at the ready. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Addiction, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Grief, Self harm, Sexual content, Abandonment, Body shaming, Car accident, Child abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship

stepnic's review

dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Mental illness, Car accident, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Drug abuse, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Infidelity, Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Abandonment

Minor: Transphobia, Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, and Injury/Injury detail

ivanaestaba's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

wow. this was so raw, visceral but so well written it was difficult to put down but difficult to read at times, i really loved this book. check tw! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual assault

mcdermot's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

Moderate: Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Addiction, Mental illness, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Car accident, Sexual assault, and Drug use

ashleereadsbooks692's review

emotional hopeful 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Car accident, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Grief, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Bullying, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

pcataldo's review

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-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

I really liked this book! Grace really grew on me. I didn't like her at first. The ending was a bit predictable, but still good. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Addiction, Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Car accident, Self harm, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Homophobia and Injury/Injury detail

rebecca713's review

4.0

I loved the main character, she had a bit of an unreliable narrator situation going on and she wasn't super likeable. There were several characters who I was rooting for despite them having significant flaws, which I think shows how good the writing was. I couldn't tell which way the story was going until the very end (which was pretty abrupt which is why I'm taking off a star) and that kept me invested the whole time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Drug use

Moderate: Alcohol

Minor: Transphobia

cinderellasbookshelf's review

challenging dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

4.0

Powerful, complex, and raw. 

The writing in this book is so good that you actually feel and understand everything that Grace Turner is going through after suddenly leaving Hollywood at the height of her career as a young actress. The story is focused entirely on her as she tries to cope and understand her abuse, while trying and struggling to find some semblance of a normal life she's only ever really known. Yet, what is normal in an industry that tries to mold you into something you aren't, especially after enduring the abuse, gaslighting, and all encompassing influence of an enigmatic director?

The story is told in an almost mundane way as Grace goes day by day trying to move on and get back into her life, but that's what makes it so sad and realistic. The underlying pain and trauma is still there even in the most simplest things and you begin to see the weight and toll it has taken on her in more ways than one even if it's not overtly said.

This was a difficult read at times because of the subject matter, but it felt authentic, relevant, and true.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Drug use

Minor: Suicide attempt

readwithvic's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

phua_jieying's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, and Drug use

Minor: Transphobia