Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan

32 reviews

bowbeforeloki's review

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This book was so emotionally driven.  I couldn't put it down but it broke my heart

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Gore, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, Genocide, Child death, Colonisation, Addiction, Classism, Mental illness, Racism, Trafficking, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Medical content, Rape, War, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Toxic relationship

karlzlee's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Child abuse, Child death, Alcohol, Rape, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Death, Alcoholism, Violence, War, and Sexual violence

mariyakeeka's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.5

This is a historical fiction novel set in colonized Malaya with a dual timeline (under British colonial rule and Japanese colonial rule). It follows the mom, Cecily, and how her actions had monumental consequences even though she herself was an inconsequential person. This is shown through alternating perspectives between herself and her three children and how each child faces tremendous challenges because of the societal changes and settings that Cecily's actions brought upon. Guilt is a major theme of this novel because Cecily cannot say that she was unwitting, she simply did not question as much as she should. 

This book is meant to be slow. It's meant to linger on pain and suffering and really give us the time and space to examine all the ways in which we can hurt. The prose is stunning and, for the most part, it didn't feel unnecessary. It was well used and so evocative. Thematically, it addresses guilt, family, power dynamics, greed, morality and what it means to exist as a woman. I enjoyed the discussion of good and bad and how these are ultimately subjective terms.

There was a point at the end,

where I had wished we'd had a deeper insight into Abel's thoughts and feelings upon returning.

But ultimately, this is a book I can easily recommend once you've checked the content warnings.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Trafficking, Alcoholism, Child death, Colonisation, and Grief

maybak's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I listened to the audiobook version of The Storm We Made written by Vanessa Chan and skillfully narrated by Samatha Tan.

The story follows the lives of the Alcantara family between 1935 and 1945, first in British-occupied Malaya (current Malaysia) then under the violent Japanese occupation.

The Alcantaras are Eurasians. Gordon, the husband, works a low-level clerical job for the British occupation government. He is married to Cecily, a housewife who yearns for more. They have three children: Jujube, Abel and Jasmine. They move up the social ladder as Gordon’s career slowly rises. Cecily meets one man, General Fujiwara aka Bing Lee Chan, with whom she shares the ideal of building a new Asia for Asians.

Cecily spies on the British on behalf of the Japanese general. The intel she provides will cause a devastating ripple effect in the lives of her family members.

I learned things about what life was like in occupied Malaya under British and Japanese occupations. I loved how developed the characters were. The story is told through the lens of Cecily, Abel, Jujube and Jasmine. The novel takes you deep into the consequences of Cecily’s actions on her family and community. 

I like how author Vanessa Chan incorporated the topics of colonisation, occupation, colorism, race and identity, self-determination, survival, selfishness, the condition of women into her story. She touches on important themes with mastery. I thought her characters were well developed, complex, flawed, with clear fears and motivations.

The audiobook narrator, Samantha Tan, was brilliant. I loved hearing the story with twangs of Malaysian and Japanese accents.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism and Murder

Minor: Rape

fkshg8465's review

emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

3.0

Just barely a three. Wanted to like it more but I probably would’ve been better off DNFing it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Alcoholism, Confinement, Colonisation, Alcohol, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Murder, Child abuse, and Blood

shannonlian's review against another edition

sad

3.75

As others have said, I was so excited to read historical fiction by a southeast Asian author about a place I know very little about. I definitely walked away with a curiosity to learn more about the time period (as I generally do with compelling historical fiction). Unfortunately, I didn’t feel connected to the characters. Their motivations felt a bit shallow to me at times and overall left something to be desired. 

All in all I’m glad I picked up this book and hope to read more about this region and time period. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, and War

danaaliyalevinson's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

4.0

Set against the backdrop of the Japanese occupation of 

Malaysia, a Malaysian woman makes a fateful decision which changes the course of history and the lives of everyone she knows. 

I really enjoyed this book. I tend to love historical fiction that centers fictional characters against the backdrop of world events, and while fictional, 1 always feel like it gives us a glimpse into how this massive world events may have affected real people. This book did not disappoint on this front; in turns towering and intimate, this is a beautiful portrait of shattered promises, family bonds, and the tides of history that hurl themselves at the barriers of safety people try to erect around themselves and their loved ones. 

It is a multi-perspective book, and sometimes 1 tound the switches happening too quickly, just as I would settle into whatever storyline 1 was following in a particular chapter. And I felt some storylines converged at the end better than others. But it was still a really great read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child death, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Confinement, Kidnapping, Rape, Alcoholism, Colonisation, Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, War, Death, Excrement, Infidelity, and Self harm

craftyanty's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

This book is a heavy read... lots of triggers warnings needed, but it really is excellent for a debut novel. The characters are well-written, and each of them faces their own personal struggles that come together to make this novel a very emotional read. In fact, this was almost a 5-star rated book for me, but the youngest daughter's character became less believable toward the end. 
 The audiobook narrator, Samantha Tan, was incredible! I will be looking for more books narrated by her to listen to. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Pedophilia, Rape, War, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Confinement, Grief, Infidelity, Classism, Vomit, Physical abuse, Colonisation, Death, and Trafficking

Moderate: Child death, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Addiction, Abandonment, Death of parent, and Child abuse

ailiscr32's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Sexual assault, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, War, Child abuse, Colonisation, Death, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Child death, and Violence

Moderate: Infidelity, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Racial slurs, Bullying, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Racism

between_2worlds's review

dark emotional informative sad fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Alcoholism, Torture, Sexual violence, and Colonisation