Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Come Closer by Sara Gran

29 reviews

asterius's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-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

3.0

Thrilling, but definitely not for me. If I had to put my finger on what kept me from loving this one it would have to be the bare bones nature of who these character are. 

In part I supppose it's because the issue has also always been with Amanda, a bit, with it only now suddely escalating -- I just would've loved to have seen more of her life before. I didn't feel I believed her connection with her husband Greg either, cutting me off from the impact of the finale where the protagonist and the demon inhabiting her could really become one. Also, the relationship of the characters have to suffer for there to be drama, for it to feel like they're being driven apart. I just did not understand what either of them actually saw in one another before things even got particularly 'bad'.

This plot is certainly for some, but just didn't hit for me. The writing style was witty, clipped, and didn't waste any time with anything at all fluff or unnecessary; lots of strong craftsmanship in the thrill department. There were quite a few times I chuckled out loud at something, in a good way.

If you like the movie

 Possession,

you'll really like this.

PS: Did not like the Latina mystic/tarot reader stereotypical stock character; it seemed like a joke about the way these things are usually solved in movies, but it just didn't land with me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Gore, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Sexual content, Alcohol, and Body horror

Minor: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Incest, and Forced institutionalization

entre_fanon_y_weil's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Vomit, Blood, Forced institutionalization, and Mental illness

morbidmyrna's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Blood, Death, Murder, Alcohol, and Animal cruelty

an_apollinaria's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

An enjoyable horror novel, but not something i would re-read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity and Murder

Moderate: Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, and Alcohol

abbiexhope's review against another edition

dark tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror and Blood

Moderate: Child abuse, Murder, Vomit, and Alcohol

cursivewolf's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

A quick descent into possession gone on too far. Hopeless and suffocating.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Murder, Infidelity, Blood, Death, and Gaslighting

hunkydory's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Violence, Alcohol, Death, Sexual content, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Blood

Minor: Vomit, Animal cruelty, and Death of parent

finleyfrogreads's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, and Murder

Moderate: Death of parent, Alcohol, Blood, Vomit, and Child abuse

savvylit's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.0

Come Closer was a perfect one-sitting horror novella. It's fast-paced. It's creepy. It's immersive. I can see how Naamah's possession of Amanda could be terrifying to some. Personally, I think it just represented Amanda escaping the shackles of her rigid lifestyle. I was kind of rooting for the possession to take hold so she could totally embrace her hedonistic impulses. Also, I thought Naamah was a really sexy demon. But maybe I'm just into demons?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Infidelity

chloseencounter's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I quite enjoyed this short little read. It was a take on demonic possession I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced before, a very realistic downfall of questioning your own sanity and the feelings of losing control. I liked the interactions with the main character and the demon, the false sense of security the demon created for her while she was vulnerable truly manipulating her to the let the demon in. 

I really enjoyed the parts where I wasn’t even sure if they actually happened, like the doctors visits that only made the possession take more of a hold and when our main character (can you tell I can’t remember her name, I think it was Amanda) would run into other people who seemed to have demonic energy within them. I also thought the freakiest part was the sad excuse for an exorcism and the description of the demon just kind of skittering around in the darkness of her mind’s safe space.

Overall this was a solid, short, spooky read perfect for my Halloween/Fall TBR. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Vomit, and Medical trauma

Minor: Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Cursing, and Death of parent