Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Once There Were Wolves by Charlotte McConaghy

42 reviews

jaedee09's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

What a beautiful, tense, emotional story. This book made me feel so many things - anger, love, sadness...strength. At first I wasn't sure about the flashbacks, but quickly came to appreciate how poetic the story was written.

That birth scene was incredibly powerful!

Such a poingant way to blend a story of conservation, family ties, murder, and love.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Animal death, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Murder

Moderate: Infertility, Infidelity, Medical content, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcohol

olivebleu's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Violence, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Cursing, Blood, Gore, Animal death, Alcohol, Body horror, Rape, Death, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, and Toxic relationship

lbgossett's review

dark mysterious tense fast-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: Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Alcohol

vanesst's review against another edition

challenging inspiring mysterious medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Death, Animal death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, and Dementia

Minor: Infidelity, Stalking, and Suicide

corncake's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Death, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Grief, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Blood, and Violence

Minor: Child abuse, Abandonment, Medical content, Confinement, and Gun violence

sincerelygracec's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

A phenomenal work of fiction. Heart breaking and beautiful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Rape, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Blood, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Death, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Pregnancy, Grief, and Mental illness

Minor: Alcohol and Drug use

atalea's review

dark hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Rape, Violence, Toxic friendship, Blood, Sexual violence, and Animal death

Moderate: Abandonment, Death of parent, Infidelity, Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, and Mental illness

Minor: Dementia, Suicide, Drug use, Infertility, Grief, and Alcohol

navayiota's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

I originally saved this cause it was recommended by Leena Norms for spooky October novels, and spooky it was, although not in the way I had expected. I ended up picking it up cause it was narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, and I really enjoyed her previous work narrating Kate Quinn novels. I didn't expect it to stay with me the way it did. I am in shock. Visceral is the perfect way to describe this writing. McConaghy got me to feel every light touch and savage hit taken by the characters. She tied every aspect of the story up in a neat bow that lovingly punched me in the gut at every opportunity. I refuse to believe that a human can write like this, and yet it's so painfully obvious that a human wrote it, because what other species could describe the human experience in such a vivid way? My heart aches for these characters, who are painfully fleshed out with all their jagged edges and ugly sides. I wish more people read this book. I can't wait to read more but must stop myself from binging anything else she has written cause it just wouldn't be enough. May her fingers never tire of typing or holding a pen, may her mind never cease creating and may her soul experience every joy the world has to offer. Simply incredible.

I can't believe that I finally encountered a book where the pregnancy trope is treated with justice and respect. I was in awe at the mastery with which she ended the story, the way she made it all make sense. Every major or subplot is a full circle and that feels incredible to me

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Suicide, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Rape, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Cursing, Dementia, Confinement, and Child abuse

Minor: Drug abuse

bootsmom3's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Death, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Torture, Abandonment, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Alcohol, Violence, Grief, Gun violence, and Blood

Minor: Abortion

aliciaofalaska's review

dark emotional mysterious tense 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Death, Animal cruelty, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Animal death, and Murder