Reviews with content warning for Alcoholism - Acts of Desperation

Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan

161 reviews

sophee_568's review

dark reflective medium-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

3.0

I didn't like this as much as I thought I would. It started off strong. The main character is quite messy, and self-destructive. She struggles with body image and self-harm. For most of the book I empathised with the MC but after she did something bad to her boyfriend I struggled to be on her side.

This book does a good job at representing an incredibly toxic relationship. And it is toxic from both sides. Our protagonist and her boyfriend Cieran are "bad" in their own ways. They have their own issues which are the reason for all the ways they punish each other. By the end of the book, Cieran shows his "evil" side, and even SA's our protagonist. That was horrible to read. I felt truly disgusted with Cieran. No matter what the narrator did or said, she did not deserve to be treated that way. Her liking and phantasizing about being hurt during intercourse, does not give her boyfriend permission to do what he did.

The narrator is written as a complex character. Since the novel is written in 1st person perspective, we get to see all her thought processes and none of them are positive or healthy. She is quite the unlikeable character; relatable in some ways and completely alien in others. For the most part I liked being in her head and knowing why she did what she did but after some time it got tiring. Throughout the story, the narrator's life spirals out of control, and it's not easily digestible. I got angry at her, and I was disappointed how readily she let herself be used and abused. I think the point of this book is to show all those ugly parts of a woman's life; and how tough is it to feel like you have some power in life, and in relationships with men.

The book ends with our narrator slowly gaining some confidence and control back. She is in a different country, and one of her friends came to visit her. At the very end of the book, their brief affair is shown but this time the roles are reversed. She even compares herself to Cieran because now she is the one who is detached, and her friend is the dependent one in the relationship. The idea behind this part is good but the execution felt rushed.

While I think this book is an okay addition to the trend of unhinged mentally ill woman, it didn't present anything new or original. I don't think I will reread this book, and I'm pretty sure I'll forget about it soon.

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brandijo1321's review

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challenging reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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lauraegan's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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

5.0

I have never read a book as visceral and heartbreaking as this. Any earlier in my recovery and I couldn't have finished it, yet it still had me grimacing on the bus at my pain and hers. It felt so exposing and gratifying at once to see the feminine experience spelled out like this. The characters motives and mannerisms matched icons of my own life, and I felt shame for finding my own self-hatred in hers. When you're ready to face your relationships with yourself and others this is it, but read with caution as it may bring up some very hard feelings about sex and relationships. Whenever I need a wake up call about how I used to carry myself and still sometimes do this book is where I will always return.

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thesawyerbean's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

Wow, this was incredible. The writing was so raw, vulnerable and personal, and yet utterly intoxicating.

The book centred on the whirlwind ‘romance’ between the narrator and Ciaran, laying bare the destructive force of obsessive love on the self. The narrator’s point of view, despite being unnamed, was so intimate that you felt everything that she went through.

Interweaved with the affecting prose was nuanced and edifying commentary on sex, gender, consent, power and patriarchy, the male gaze and the violence of sex. The flash-forwards to 2019 Athens were rich and clear in these perspectives, providing a stunning contrast to the dizziness of the narrator’s thoughts and experiences in the main timeline.

Overall, a staggering and important debut which left me stewing in thought for a while after.

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