Reviews tagging 'Grief'

Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton

132 reviews

yogabbygabby19's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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This book took me a bit of time to get through, but it felt like I was reading a letter from an older sister who was offering me advice on life and love in my twenties. Started slow but once it picked up, I was into it. I loved the recipes interspersed and how the author shared her perspectives on love at varying ages in her life; it just felt so warm and realistic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Cancer, Death, Eating disorder, Grief, Alcohol

Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, Gaslighting

miaach's review against another edition

3.0

funny hopeful informative lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Child death, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Sexual content, Grief, Alcohol

crhansbury's review against another edition

3.0

lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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Everyone told me this was a must read for girls in their twenties. It was a good book, but a little over-hyped in my opinion. It was not as relatable as everyone made it seem. Still an interesting read though.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Alcohol

Moderate: Cancer, Drug use, Grief

rosyposk's review against another edition

2.5

emotional funny hopeful reflective fast-paced

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It was okay. Dolly was incredibly annoying for about the first 30-40% of this book- she made incredibly bad decisions and didn’t care about the consequences in the name of “collecting stories”, drank copious amounts of alcohol, did drugs every page, was far into her overdraft bc of said substance misuse, and got angry at her best friend for having a real relationship with a man who treated her very well (because she was being treated terribly by a man who literally draws his naked hook ups on the wall in eyeliner). It was clear she could only do these things because of her own privilege as a middle class white woman. She honestly came across as privileged, self-centred, obnoxious and stuck up for most of the first half of the book. You know that girl who makes Tik Toks about private school British girls named “Minty” and “Pistachio”? That’s the embodiment of Dolly Alderton in the first half of this book. 

In the second half, she definitely became significantly less annoying and showed “character development” (even though she is not a character), and discussed many serious issues that affected her, which meant I was able to push through and finish this book. And I would say that the topics she discusses, eating disorders, therapy etc. could definitely help readers out there. The most memorable moment of this book was definitely the chapter about her best friend’s younger sister- it was very touching. 

This book was advertised on Tik Tok as coming-of-age, centred around female friendship, relatable etc., and I just didn’t find that in this book. Sure, these topics were discussed but it isn’t this heart-warming, sweet, story that people on Tik Tok make it seem. So, if you want to pick this book up, beware that this is not what Tik Tok says it is.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Grief, Toxic friendship, Alcohol

rose111's review against another edition

4.5

emotional funny hopeful inspiring slow-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cancer, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, Alcohol

bookish_5280's review against another edition

2.75

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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I felt so so out of place reading the first half of this book. I think Dolly just approaches love and the idea of romance from such a different place than I do that the first couple hundred pages felt estranging and cold and lifeless. But when the book started turning to smaller joys, to self-reflection, to the beauty of close female friendships and to platonic love and adoration, I couldn't help crying and laughing and absolutely falling in love with the memoir (I know, very mixed bag of feelings. Hence the 3.75 stars). To anyone who is looking at these reviews after the first half of the book, wondering if they should finish reading it, PERSEVERE. It is absolutely, 100% worth it. 
Thank you, nina, for giving me this book, you're the best <3 You're my Farly. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Grief, Alcohol

grhavard's review against another edition

5.0

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad fast-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Cancer, Death, Fatphobia, Grief, Alcohol

laurasanders's review against another edition

4.5

emotional informative reflective medium-paced

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I don't read a lot of memoirs, but when I do, they will touch me in some sort of way.  Dolly writes a really personal life story about love. I could not stop myself to highlight a few sentences here and there.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Grief, Alcohol

turidt's review against another edition

3.5

emotional reflective fast-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Mental illness, Grief, Alcohol

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit

Minor: Body shaming

hjb_128's review against another edition

3.5

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Eating disorder, Alcohol

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content

Minor: Grief