Reviews tagging 'Alcoholism'

We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo

12 reviews

ameliasbooks's review against another edition

emotional funny sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

Usually I'm having difficulties with child characters in stories. Very often I find their thoughts and dialogues unbelievable, but this wasn't the case here. I really enjoyed reading about the daily life and the adventures Darling and her friends went on. Maybe I would have preferred one or two characters less, because not all of them were portrayed really memorably.

The author did a good job in letting the place and the experiences the protagonists had coming alive on the page.

Can't really say which part I enjoyed more, the one that takes place in Zimbabwe or the one in the US. Both are similar important to the story, so I had no preference. 

The only criticism I have is that Bulawayo tries too hard to cover numerous themes and therefore can't really go into depth with most of them. This is a short book, so most of the covered topics stay quite on the surface and aren't explored enough. Which I would have been really interested in.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Body shaming, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Addiction, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Pedophilia, Colonisation, Fatphobia, Racism, and Dementia

Minor: War, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Death, Animal death, Domestic abuse, and Eating disorder

koirasaurus's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

4.0

Took a long time from me to finish the book, because sometimes it felt like nothing new happened. Text could have been edited a bit more so that the changes in time and place would’ve made more sense.

Even though it wasn’t so easy and light to read, it was a lovely and great book. I would recommend.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Racism, Abortion, Animal death, and Death

Minor: Alcoholism and Mass/school shootings

hotkoolaidpotato's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, and War

Moderate: Bullying, Colonisation, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Abortion, Body shaming, Child abuse, and Classism

Minor: Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Eating disorder, Incest, Sexual harassment, Animal death, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Physical abuse, Violence, Mass/school shootings, and Infidelity

franzischi's review against another edition

informative reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Blood, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Racism, Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Death

Moderate: Abortion and Terminal illness

Minor: Mass/school shootings, Vomit, Gun violence, and Suicide attempt

marywahlmeierbracciano's review against another edition

challenging medium-paced

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

4.75

This is quite a provocative book.  It is narrated by Darling, who, throughout most of the book, is a tween living in a Zimbabwe slum in the 2000s, having been displaced from her modest home by paramilitary violence.  She and her friends process their reality through play and antics, which include the game “Find bin Laden,” a reenactment of a community member’s murder, and a near-attempt at a coat hanger abortion.  When Darling moves in with her aunt in America, she discovers that many cultural differences cannot be translated and yearns for her beloved homeland, to which she cannot return, lest she be trapped.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Religious bigotry, Animal cruelty, Fatphobia, Racism, Animal death, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Medical trauma, Incest, Grief, Xenophobia, Murder, Infidelity, Colonisation, Abortion, Rape, Police brutality, Violence, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Misogyny, and Alcoholism

Minor: Transphobia, Abandonment, Suicide, Child death, Bullying, and Death of parent

feebles640's review against another edition

challenging dark funny sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Cursing, Classism, and Animal death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Incest, Racism, Abortion, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Dementia, Fatphobia, and Deportation

Minor: Mass/school shootings

jana_f's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-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

2.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Death, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Hate crime, Incest, Murder, Rape, Sexual violence, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Vomit, Excrement, Body shaming, and Eating disorder

amanda_marie's review against another edition

emotional funny informative reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

The premise may seem sad, may indeed be a little sad, but it is also about joy. Witty, unfiltered, joy. It is not about pity, but perspective. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Pregnancy, War, Violence, Religious bigotry, Rape, and Racism

Moderate: Alcoholism, Colonisation, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, and Police brutality

lace_daisies_and_mary_oliver's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Animal death

Moderate: Abortion, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Blood, War, Xenophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Rape, Death, Hate crime, and Racism

Minor: Eating disorder, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, and Rape

darby15's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective medium-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? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Cursing, Excrement, Fatphobia, Racism, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Gore, Sexism, Animal death, Blood, Violence, Animal cruelty, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, and Eating disorder

Moderate: War, Sexual assault, Police brutality, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Genocide, Incest, Rape, Suicide, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicide attempt

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Vomit, and Mass/school shootings