Reviews tagging 'Drug use'

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

35 reviews

autihd_elno's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

I enjoyed this book quite a lot until the final chapter. The constantly shift POV was interesting and overall I found it worked for me, there were only two or so chapters I found dragged relative to the rest of the book. The final chapter didn't ruin the book for me by any means, but something about the speculative fiction element of it didn't land well for me. Maybe it would have landed better in 2010, but I had trouble buying into the imagined future tech. I also didn't much like the character of

Alex,

and not so much in a like-ability way, I didn't necessarily "like" a good number of the POV characters in the book, but for whatever reason

Alex, or his story,

felt like a let down, or anti-climax for the end of the book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Racism, and Suicide

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Genocide, Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, and War

readbycarina's review against another edition

challenging reflective medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Self harm, Grief, and Suicide attempt

mylargirl's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad slow-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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Suicide

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, and Racism

hattie's review against another edition

challenging hopeful reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use and Suicide attempt

Minor: Sexual content

bootsmom3's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• 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: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, and Classism

traa's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective sad medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Addiction, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Colonisation

Minor: Genocide, Homophobia, Racism, Violence, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and War

phantomgecko's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Not a novel exactly but not just a collection of short stories. Densely interconnected snippets of different lives. Each chapter is written in a unique style that tempts me to call it some sort of long form poetry. Styles that stuck out being the one with all (the parentheses), the one in second person, and the one that was a powerpoint.

I didn't really care for the people and what they were doing, but I enjoyed the circles and knots that wove them all together. Like, wow, all these terrible people really couldn't have done it by themselves. I need a bulletin board covered in pins and string to illustrate how wildly connected these stories all are. Especially the ones that seem out of place, like where the PR lady does business with a war criminal.

Again, not just short stories. Though some of the chapters could be interesting stand-alones, the effect of all of them together is just top notch.

Also, the peeking into the future was fascinating. A new baby boom. The devolution of language. Wild stuff.

So, in conclusion, I really really liked this book's structure and premise and details and styles. But I didn't care about the characters and what they did nor about the music/punk/art/drug scene prominent in most of the characters' lives.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Homophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

fraise's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body shaming, Genocide, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicide, Medical content, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Cancer and Eating disorder

si0ban's review against another edition

reflective 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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, and Sexual assault

Minor: Suicide attempt

pirate's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use and Murder

Minor: Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, and War