Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

The September House by Carissa Orlando

295 reviews

kit_icarus8's review

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

hufflepuffbiologybuff's review

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book was interesting from the very first chapter. It was difficult to put down and a curiosity as to what is going to happen next. 
This was a great ghost story from beginning to end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore and Violence

Moderate: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Vomit, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

ashtheaudiomancer's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.0

House of Evil Bees: The Novel! This was exceptionally well done. At first, I wondered why the narrator was repeating herself so much, and was about to criticize that, but there's a reason that's happening, and it was eye-opening when that reveal hit. This was the second book in a row that I read this year about a haunted house, where the house is haunted not by ghosts, but by personal trauma. (The other being "Model Home" by Rivers Solomon.) Which is all well and good, but I kinda need a break. Would like to read a haunted house book with actual ghosts in it next time, as a treat.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Child death, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

jennxreviews's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-paced

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

5.0

I didn't know if this was supposed to be horrific or hilarious, it turned out to be a roller coaster. When you think you know what's going on something will happen that will knock you down. 
Triggers for domestic abuse, alcoholism, child abuse. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

ashanderson's review

dark tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

This book... Let's start with the big positive. I enjoyed Carissa Orlando's writing style which is what kept me reading through (at least) the first half of the book. It was easy to breeze through ten or more pages without realizing you moved through it so quickly. The content in that first half, though, was a lot of what in the H-E-double hockey sticks did I just read. Those WTH moments had me putting down The September House so often, even though I enjoyed Orlando's writing. The rather random information mixed with no action or movement in that first half of the book didn't keep my attention long enough to not jump back and forth to other books.

Once I decided that I needed to just finish this read to move on to something else in my TBR, I got hooked and read the last half of the book in just a couple reading sessions. It's a rollercoaster for sure. Without giving away spoilers, I loved all the twists and turns at the end of the book, and I truly mean at the end of the book.

I can partially understand Orlando's choices for revealing information at the times she did, but I think if I had more to details on the characters or history of the house to answer a few of my questions a little sooner, I would've been more eager to read The September House straight through without bouncing to other reads. As it sits, I'd recommend this book to other horror readers because I truly enjoyed Orlando's writing style and the ending of the book was wild, but I would say be prepared for a slow start and fast paced ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism and Animal death

synclaire's review

challenging dark inspiring mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Self harm, Blood, Vomit, Murder, and Gaslighting

prizazz's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense

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

5.0

The author hits you pretty hard over the head with her point but I’m not mad about it. It is a classic haunted house narrative where the house is also a character while also reflecting on the challenges of home ownership and what people have to go through to have secure housing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Cannibalism, and Death of parent

heather_harrison'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A haunted house story like no other. Margaret, our FMC, is determined to stay in her dream house, even if it is horrifically haunted one month of the year. There are moments of terror, sadness and such well relieved dark humour. 

At the end of it all I just wanted to give Margaret and hug and a cup of tea. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

rally_reviews's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

I felt I knew the mystery the whole time but the characters whether dead or alive were very interesting. Everyone that came in contact with this women and this house did not go away untouched. I was drawn into the story. I felt it was well written. I did wish they did not draw it out so much but, I feel that way often. The little surprises towards the end were interesting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, and Blood

beigecupid_'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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol