Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

In Memoriam by Alice Winn

34 reviews

lealula's review

challenging dark emotional informative tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, War, Mental illness, Grief, Gore, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Colonisation, Blood, and Death

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Suicide

bryony_'s review

dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

This was one hell of a novel. It evoked such visceral emotions and masterfully explores some intense and brutal themes. I’m just in awe at such a work.  

I found it deeply moving and really quite profound at times. Winn paints such a vivid portrait of these young men and their relationship, set against this backdrop of a bloody and senseless war. 

What I think also demonstrates her talent as an author is also being able to bring some moments of humour into her writing- the humour of the men, having endless copies of the same book to read over and over. To go from that and the tenderness of their burgeoning love, to the horrors of trench warfare and the brutal PTSD and mental trauma experienced with such finesse is inspiring. 
I have so many thoughts about this book and I suspect one I’ll keep thinking about for some time. It probably goes without saying it made me cry. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcoholism, Grief, and Gun violence

laurennicole98's review

dark emotional informative sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Gore, Death, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Confinement, Alcoholism, Suicide, Homophobia, Sexual content, Mental illness, and Xenophobia

msouth's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism, War, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Genocide, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Mental illness, and Classism

maritzasolo's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Homophobia, War, Gore, and Sexual content

Moderate: Suicide

Minor: Classism, Panic attacks/disorders, Antisemitism, Death of parent, and Alcoholism

arayo's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Violence, Suicide, Medical content, Homophobia, Bullying, Gun violence, Blood, Child death, Gore, War, Mental illness, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Classism, Outing, Cursing, Antisemitism, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Vomit, Excrement, Xenophobia, and Sexism

zarahzoe's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad tense

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

5.0

I CANNOT HEAVE THE WORDS INTO MY MOUTH

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Suicidal thoughts, Antisemitism, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Homophobia, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Classism, Gore, and Grief

beanie_bob's review against another edition

emotional funny informative sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Reading Around The World (5/199): England

I don’t want to make this the only value of the novel, but if you like Song of Achilles you must read this. War, loss of youth, love, beautiful writing - it’s all here.

I’m completely stunned by the fact that this is a debut novel. It’s so good. (To be fair, Alice Winn apparently wrote three unpublished novels before this, so we see that practice really does make perfect). I wish I had a physical copy to annotate. I can’t wait to see what comes next from Alice Winn.

I really love the the first third of this novel (even the first half). So much is brewing in this stage - we meet many of the main players, we witness and toil over unrequited love, we go to war, we experience tension and terror, and begin to accumulate death.

I love yearning. I love two people who believe they can’t be together, or that the other is uninterested, or who regret not being brave enough to say something, or who regret saying something and losing everything. Now do all of that under the pressure of a world war. Awful. Exquisite.

The last third of third works a little less for me, but I never lost my desire to follow the story to the end. 

Gaunt: Thoroughly my type. Tall, broad, wide, quiet, serious but completely smitten on the inside. War changes everyone and by the end he’s no longer a closed fist. 

Ellwood: His soul is eviscerated at some point. If Gaunt becomes who he’s meant to be (a leader, a kind man, an open man) Ellwood becomes what he never should have been, and then claws his way back from that. 

They’re just boys. They’ll be in their 40s when WW2 starts. War is hell.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Mental illness, War, and Death

Moderate: Antisemitism, Alcoholism, and Violence

Minor: Suicide

katiesbeengone's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Sexual content, Murder, War, Violence, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Genocide, and Mental illness

Moderate: Alcoholism, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Alcohol, and Classism

miles's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I'm an absolute sucker for books that rip out my heart and wreck it into a million pieces only to put it back together by the end of it and give me a soft forehead kiss.
Lots of realistic pain and terror but interspersed with wonderfully tender and funny moments of beauty that capture your heart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, War, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Classism, Confinement, Grief, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent

Minor: Antisemitism