Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper

20 reviews

bookswithlauren's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Abortion, Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Gaslighting, Vomit, Violence, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Torture, Suicide, Slavery, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Sexism, Rape, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Child death, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Medical content, and Murder

leahkarge's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Classism, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Abortion, Addiction, Ableism, Excrement, Sexual content, Alcohol, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, Slavery, Suicide, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Death of parent, Colonisation, Cursing, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief

burnourhistory's review against another edition

dark slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Rape, Slavery, Trafficking, Suicide, Murder, and Grief

Moderate: Death, Abortion, and Alcoholism

meg_sc's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective slow-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? No

4.5

The ending of this book had me reeling. I was a bit cautious about reading historical fiction from an era that I know so much about, but I thought this book did it brilliantly. Harper does a wonderful job of humanising the often overlooked enslaved people of the Roman world, and I feel like this book is paced so well. 
Definitely one to heed the warnings for if you're sensitive to the themes of the book, but if you're thinking about picking it up I recommend it! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Sexual content, Sexism, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Slavery, Grief, Death, Trafficking, Murder, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Xenophobia, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Alcoholism, Alcohol, and Abortion

racheleanne06's review

dark emotional sad tense 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

4.5

Pompeii comes to life in this harrowing tale of slavery and womanhood in AD 74. It’s a about love, friendship and doing what it takes to survive in this harsh unforgiving world.

I visited Pompeii last summer and every piece of what I saw there came to life in this book. From the food, and people, to the ancient celebrations and the cultures, you feel like you are there, in the city with the Wolf Den girls back in AD 74.

The plot is very character focused, but you really care for Amara and the other girls despite their flaws, and this world they are inhabiting is so full of terror and horrors that you can’t help but plead with the gods and goddesses that they survive the ordeals they are subjected to. 

If you enjoy historical fiction and learning about the ancient worlds, then this book is for you. Perfect for fans of Madeline Miller and Philippa Gregory. Just don’t expect perfect happy endings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Grief, Murder, Physical abuse, Trafficking, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Child abuse, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Abortion, and Death

Minor: Vomit

jadehusdanhicks's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

2.0

I never connected with this text.  Following prostitution in Pompeii there is a lot of graphic content.  While I have respect for the MC holding her ground throughout and fighting for better for herself.  There’s not much else I had to say.  I personally didn’t enjoy it. It just wasn’t badly written so I didn’t dnf

Due to the time setting also a lot of different types of slavery. 

Think more just not for me 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Abortion, Cursing, Death, Misogyny, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Blood, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, Suicide, Confinement, Grief, Rape, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Sexism, Violence, Vomit, and Child death

sinceraly's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

a bit of a slow start, but the prose of this book is something so different from any other modern greek/roman setting I've read, and when this book finally gathered it's bearings about a 3rd of the way in it had me hooked.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Alcohol, Body shaming, Death of parent, and Murder

gilroi's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense 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? No

3.0

An excellent work of historical fiction, showing the lives of the Roman underclass. I wish more books were written about people history would rather forget, especially since the lives of slaves and prostitutes were unusually well-documented in Roman history. All the characters are real and varied, and the author deftly avoids a lot of the worst tropes associated with this sort of story. My only complaint was feeling the ending was a little rushed, but the last chapter more than makes up for it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Classism, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Suicide, and Slavery

Moderate: Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, and Rape

Minor: Abortion

nialiversuch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Classism, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Cursing, Murder, Grief, Child abuse, Slavery, Rape, Misogyny, Xenophobia, Violence, Sexism, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Racial slurs, Colonisation, Trafficking, and Alcohol

Moderate: Death of parent, Addiction, Vomit, Body shaming, Adult/minor relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, and Abortion

banlocan's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.25

While the subject matter of the book makes it anything but a light read, Harper guides the reader through an unforgiving world so often overlooked or silenced. If you are looking for a slow burn read that will completely wreck you by the end then this is what you want to add to your tbr. Wonderful world building without feeling like it was an info dump the world of ancient Pompeii and the Wolfs Den come to life in a way that is obtainable and visceral. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Violence, Trafficking, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Slavery

Moderate: Abandonment, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship