Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes

35 reviews

sandysmith's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

I'm gradually adding books I've read in 2021 to give a true reflection of the books I've read since keeping records.  This was the first book I read in 2021, and is what kick-started my reading journey having put reading on the  back burner whilst bringing up the children,  previously being an avid reader. I loved this book and learnt a lot about the women who were the travelling library in the depression in Kentuky. A great read, which is full of interesting characters who you invest in. Fab stuff

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Domestic abuse, Racism, Alcoholism, and Animal death

Moderate: Incest

beckyyreadss's review

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

4.0

I wanted to read this book because I wanted to read more work from authors that I've enjoyed previously. I enjoyed the Me Before You series and cried my eyes out and wanted to read more of her work. This book kept popping up on my TBR and on my amazon recommended. This is one of the first historical fiction I've read, and it was an interesting read.  

This book is based on Alice Wright in England 1930s, and she is restless and stifled and decides to make an impulsive decision to marry wealthy American Bennett Van Cleve and leave her home and family behind. But in Baileyville, Kentucky, her husband favours work over his wife and is dominated by his overbearing father and Alice is not getting the adventure or the escape she was looking for. That is until she meets Margery O’Hare, a troublesome woman and a daughter of a notorious felon that the town wishes to forget. Margery’s on a mission to spread the wonder of books and reading to the poor and lost and she needs Alice’s help. Trekking alone under the big open skies, through wild mountain forests, Alice, Magery and their fellow sisters of the trail discover freedom, friendship and a life to call their own. But when Baileyville turns against them, will their belief in one another and the power of books be enough to save them? 

This book is so different from the other books of Jojo’s I've read, and it was so refreshing. I loved Alice and I just wanted to hug her so much, she was going through it during this book and all she wanted to do was live her life. I loved the found family aspect in this book especially the womanhood that grew between the ladies of the Book Club. Each of these women had their own stories and only strengths and weaknesses and I adored them all and I'm so happy they all stood up for themselves and each other and kick the small-town bullshit. I love Margery, she was like the badass sister that everyone wants and loves. The storyline was brilliant, and it kept you intrigued and hooked. The storyline did have some sadness in especially when the men were involved (rolling my eyes at the Van Cleve men). After the issues with Alice, I was more interested in the murder mystery aspect.  

This was the first historical standalone fiction I read and the only other historical fiction I've read is the Bridgerton series and those two books were completely different. Once you got through maybe 25% of the book, you end up focusing on the characters and their stories rather than the things of like horse and carriage and letters and women cannot be in men’s club.  

I cannot wait to read more of Jojo’s work especially her historical fictions.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Racism, and Animal death

Moderate: Pregnancy, Alcoholism, and Violence

Minor: Incest

atamano's review against another edition

emotional informative medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Classism, Pregnancy, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Gun violence, and Racism

Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Rape, and Medical content

luca_di_mauro's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Animal death, and Alcoholism

Minor: Cursing, Sexism, Gun violence, and Racism

corriejn's review against another edition

4.5

Nothing revolutionary in how various topics are handled or how storylines play out, but a very enjoyable read. Many characters but for the most part they manage to feel reasonably well-developed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Blood, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Terminal illness and Death

Minor: Incest

jannne's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Racism

Moderate: Alcoholism and Pregnancy

Minor: Incest

miagic_tome's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Having read other Jojo Moyes, I was ready for high emotions and strong female characters and man oh man do you get both. The way she describes raw emotion really pulls you in and you can’t help but feel as the characters do. Be prepared to feel every feeling there is and love every second. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Violence, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Ableism, and Blood

Minor: Incest

rsmiley716's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

Great story and fun characters! Would also recommend 'The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek'

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Death

Moderate: Alcoholism

dancingdragon's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

Although painfully slow to start, I was grateful for this recommendation and that I stuck with it. 
This is a beautiful story of how friendship  builds and can be cultivated among very different types of people. 
It gives a good picture of the history of the Women’s Packhorse Library and what life was like for varied types of women in the 30s. Themes of women being treated like men’s property, racial discrimination, discrimination of lower classes, and the fight for unions and fair pay in the mines were themes well done. 
The description of the landscape was wonderful and left me feeling like I was riding in the mountains with the girls. I could genuinely feel the fear for their safety and identify with their coming to terms with knowing their physical limitations in comparison to the men who wanted to control them, while also falling in love with their united strength and personal growth journeys. Moyes also did a great job of subtly intertwining good men into the story without having to make them the hero. 
A heart warming tale!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Racism, and Alcoholism

microbemom's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Racism, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Bullying, Confinement, Sexism, Violence, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Animal death, and Pregnancy

Minor: Death of parent, Death, Incest, Medical content, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Cursing, Blood, Classism, and Medical trauma