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Reviews tagging 'Drug abuse'
The Heiress: The Revelations of Anne de Bourgh by Molly Greeley
15 reviews
llincathryn's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Drug abuse
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Medical trauma, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Homophobia and Miscarriage
cuppacora's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-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
4.25
I have to say, I wasn't expecting this to be quite so gay. And it worked so well.
This got me so excited about the Pride & Prejudice universe, in a way that I haven't been for a long time. I loved Anne's story, how her health and how she was treated were explored, how her feelings were brought to the surface. I thought it was very clever, and it came across as very real. When I was reading it, it was like of course that's why! It just made sense.
Excellent exploration of quite difficult themes. And I really liked that this wasn't a hopeful book. It was dark, and it stayed dark even as Anne glimpsed happiness. It felt almost heavy on my soul to read, almost crushing. It's an emotional experience, reading this book, and I wouldn't change a moment.
This got me so excited about the Pride & Prejudice universe, in a way that I haven't been for a long time. I loved Anne's story, how her health and how she was treated were explored, how her feelings were brought to the surface. I thought it was very clever, and it came across as very real. When I was reading it, it was like of course that's why! It just made sense.
Excellent exploration of quite difficult themes. And I really liked that this wasn't a hopeful book. It was dark, and it stayed dark even as Anne glimpsed happiness. It felt almost heavy on my soul to read, almost crushing. It's an emotional experience, reading this book, and I wouldn't change a moment.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship
ruthh's review
emotional
reflective
slow-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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse
scarletellajones's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse and Toxic relationship
adoras's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to Netgalley and William Morrow & Custom House for the ARC.
The Heiress follows Anne de Bourgh, who briefly appeared in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice as the sickly and quiet woman Mr. Darcy was meant to marry. Although reading (or simply watching an adaptation of) Pride and Prejudice does add to this story, it's not necessary. I haven't read any other novels set in the Pride and Prejudice world but from another perspective, but I appreciated that this one didn't try to mimic the style or tone of the original. Like the original, it is both full of societal commentary and romance, but that's more or less where the similarities end.
Anne was prescribed laudanum as a baby, and continued to rely on the drug for decades. I found the beginning of the novel to be slow, and it took me around 15-20% to fully get into the book, despite the beautiful writing style, partially because it seemed to mimic Anne's laudanum-induced slowness of thought, and the lack of stimulation in her life. Later, the pacing becomes much more brisk, as Anne comes alive and takes charge of her life.
This book does feature a f/f romance. I won't get into details for fear of spoiling major plot elements, but I really enjoyed the major feminist themes, as well as the explorations of sexuality and class. Anne and other supporting characters grappled with the dangers of motherhood (vs. the more distant fatherhood), the need to marry if you don't have an estate/an inheritance of your own, and even the fact that men who are found to be in a relationship with other men are treated much more harshly by the law than women. Although the focus remains on Anne and her personal journey, there are many details and people she encounters that make the world she inhabits seem rich and full of complicated people all trying to navigate it.
The Heiress follows Anne de Bourgh, who briefly appeared in Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice as the sickly and quiet woman Mr. Darcy was meant to marry. Although reading (or simply watching an adaptation of) Pride and Prejudice does add to this story, it's not necessary. I haven't read any other novels set in the Pride and Prejudice world but from another perspective, but I appreciated that this one didn't try to mimic the style or tone of the original. Like the original, it is both full of societal commentary and romance, but that's more or less where the similarities end.
Anne was prescribed laudanum as a baby, and continued to rely on the drug for decades. I found the beginning of the novel to be slow, and it took me around 15-20% to fully get into the book, despite the beautiful writing style, partially because it seemed to mimic Anne's laudanum-induced slowness of thought, and the lack of stimulation in her life. Later, the pacing becomes much more brisk, as Anne comes alive and takes charge of her life.
This book does feature a f/f romance. I won't get into details for fear of spoiling major plot elements, but I really enjoyed the major feminist themes, as well as the explorations of sexuality and class. Anne and other supporting characters grappled with the dangers of motherhood (vs. the more distant fatherhood), the need to marry if you don't have an estate/an inheritance of your own, and even the fact that men who are found to be in a relationship with other men are treated much more harshly by the law than women. Although the focus remains on Anne and her personal journey, there are many details and people she encounters that make the world she inhabits seem rich and full of complicated people all trying to navigate it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Sexism, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Child death, Blood, and Homophobia
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