Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Lagt kort by Lars Gustav Hellström, Joan Didion

71 reviews

ktkeps's review against another edition

2.0

challenging 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Abortion, Toxic friendship, Alcohol

shewritesinmargins's review against another edition

4.0

challenging reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Abortion

Minor: Domestic abuse

lenaschrn's review against another edition

3.5

challenging dark reflective tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Toxic friendship

Moderate: Drug use

Minor: Addiction

colinede's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicide, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting

lizawood's review against another edition

4.25

emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Abortion, Death of parent

Minor: Drug use, Eating disorder, Suicide

maurastillwagon's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book gave me a lottttt of feels. What a sad, tender story. So much, yet also so little happens in this 213-page book that takes place in the late 60s. Our main character, Maria, is extremely complex - a reflection of her time. 

Some books are smooth and clean, this one was jagged, left me speechless, and left me wondering. 

⚠️as always, look up content warnings before readings. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Suicide, Abortion

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Alcohol

flara's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This was an intense read. Like a tornado, it came out of nowhere. It kept on gaining intensity until it swept me away. There are passages in this book that are brutally sharp; they might as well cut through me. I understood Kate, her feelings.. or lack thereof. I believe Play It As It Lays was set in the 1960s, and yet it didn't feel aged. It felt very contemporary, disturbingly so. I enjoyed every single page of this very confusing, very tense, very dark novel. It's one of very few books that I regretted having finished reading.

I have this funny thing with Didion: every book that I have picked up so far ended up being very on theme. First I read The Magical Year of Thinking, and felt I could not relate due to lack of life experience with grief. Not a month later my grandfather became gravely ill, and died shortly after. That's when I picked up Blue Nights. Kate has an illegal abortion in Play It As It Lays, which I started reading just as Roe v Wade has been overturned. Crazy how a book from 60 years ago could be so relevant to the current affairs of today. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion

Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol

maryxdarko's review against another edition

5.0

dark emotional funny informative reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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LOVED it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Abortion

margaretrose's review against another edition

4.5

mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: N/A

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This is a book without a clear plot (there's a series of events but it doesn't carry through in a straightforward way) and like no character development. They sorta suck at the beginning and they don't get better. It's not a book for someone who is looking to read for any reason other than just experiencing another perspective or wanting to try some Joan Didion. 

I also did not expect to read a book with an illegal abortion plot point the weekend that the supreme court struck down roe v. wade but here we are

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Blood, Medical content, Abortion, Pregnancy, Alcohol

teresareads's review against another edition

3.5

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Abortion