Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan

39 reviews

jaiari12's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual content, Blood, Infidelity, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Drug use, Eating disorder, and Toxic relationship

v7738v773's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-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

2.0

I thought I’d like this book more than I did. The brutal honesty und accuracy with which the author describes the protagonist’s emotions and behaviors were intriguing, but I just didn’t feel good reading this book. It was hard to get into at first and the last third just made me feel dragged down. I didn’t really want to continue reading but did so for the sake of finishing the book. Maybe more fitting for someone else, as I just didn’t feel connected to the main character, especially towards the end. I found it too dark and just couldn’t relate to the overall mindset. Reading this book felt like a toxic and abusive experience with an ending that was neither conclusive nor developed enough for me. Wouldn’t read again and wouldn’t really recommend to a friend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Violence, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexism

Minor: Abandonment, Drug abuse, and Drug use

julesloyola's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual harassment, Self harm, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship

crawforl's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Drug use, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Self harm, and Sexual content

lilyforever's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Self harm, Sexual assault, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, and Sexual harassment

thesawyerbean's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad fast-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

Wow, this was incredible. The writing was so raw, vulnerable and personal, and yet utterly intoxicating. 

The book centred on the whirlwind ‘romance’ between the narrator and Ciaran, laying bare the destructive force of obsessive love on the self. The narrator’s point of view, despite being unnamed, was so intimate that you felt everything that she went through. 

Interweaved with the affecting prose was nuanced and edifying commentary on sex, gender, consent, power and patriarchy, the male gaze and the violence of sex. The flash-forwards to 2019 Athens were rich and clear in these perspectives, providing a stunning contrast to the dizziness of the narrator’s thoughts and experiences in the main timeline. 

Overall, a staggering and important debut which left me stewing in thought for a while after.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Sexism, Rape, Sexual harassment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Violence, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Addiction, Sexual assault, Fatphobia, and Infidelity

ells_shelves's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Body shaming, and Self harm

sib_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Self harm, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Blood, and Drug use

Minor: Pedophilia

ida03a's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was truly amazing. I loved the writing style, it was perfectly poetic and perfectly detailed. I really enjoyed how it explored the main characters relationship with different people, and how they developed. It really depicted the need for male validation and how this is so hurtful in an amazing way. The story really resonated with me. TW: There are a lot of things in this book that might be triggering, like eating disorders, self harm and rape.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, and Rape

Minor: Drug use

skyealexandra's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

one of those books that i absolutely adored but never want to reread 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Infidelity, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Drug use, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness