Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Behold the Dreamers by Imbolo Mbue

18 reviews

taratearex's review against another edition

hopeful reflective medium-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? No

4.0

I listened to the audiobook for this and it was just beautifully read by Prentice Onayemi, it definitely enhanced my experience reading this book. This was overall very enjoyable and an interesting story that I never really knew where it was going. Following the economic crisis in 2008 through the perspectives of two families, a white family working on a Wall street and an immigrant Cameroonian family who work for them was a unique angle to tell this story and it kept me interested. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Death of parent, Racism, and Drug use

infinitezest's review

challenging emotional funny hopeful sad medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse

amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective sad slow-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Classism, Drug abuse, Death, Pregnancy, and Sexism

Moderate: Domestic abuse

bandysbooks's review

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad tense fast-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

4.25

This book follows two characters as they struggle to find their place in the United States post-immigration. They are dealing with the pressures of assimilation, low-income jobs, asylum claims, court appointments, and raising children. It is at once hopeful and heartbreaking.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse and Alcoholism

Moderate: Domestic abuse

remie's review against another edition

emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective relaxing sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism, Death of parent, Death, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Misogyny, and Infidelity

Minor: Alcoholism, Classism, Colonisation, Eating disorder, Grief, Misogyny, Racism, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

ladymirtazapine's review

challenging reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child death, Death of parent, Drug use, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Violence

hkropp's review

challenging emotional reflective 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

4.5

The way the author captured emotion was amazing. It felt like you knew Jende, Neni and Clark. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Xenophobia

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Rape

sowm's review

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.0

Overall, I wanted to like the book so bad. I did get very close to DNFing it a couple times while reading it though. I thought the premise was good, and at the beginning, I did think it was interesting. I'm not even particularly mad about the ending, although I do have some opinions on how it could have gone instead,

while still showing how the American Dream does not hold for everyone.

The book jumps timeframes every now and then, and there isn't always a clear enough distinction which took me out of the story a few times, although it is a minor thing, and if you don't mind it, you will like it. I found the pacing of the book to be pretty good as well, for my preference.

One major thing that I did not like was that Jende, the main character, was pretty misogynistic. While I understand that different cultures have different standards for things, it really hurt, as a woman who comes from a relatively patriarchal culture, to see Jende's wife, Neni, being prevented from following her dreams just because Jende was making decisions. There was also some physical abuse in there which I really hated. While I understand that it was to make the story impactful, it was something that I didn't particularly enjoy reading. I think it was pretty well placed though, and gave us an insight into why Neni kept going along with whatever Jende said

I think this book is a good book, I just did not enjoy it very much, and that is for my own reasons. I thought the writing was good, and you could see that the characters went on a journey, you just did not see very much emotional development from them, and I wasn't a fan of that in particular.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Misogyny

Minor: Alcoholism and Drug abuse

There's some general misogyny from the main character towards his wife, as well as some drug use/abuse and alcoholism from one of the side characters.

The wife of Jende's employer dies of an alcohol/drug mixture that she overdosed on.