Reviews tagging 'Alcohol'

Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli

24 reviews

bendercath's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad slow-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? Yes

4.0

This book is brilliantly written. At many points, I gasped at the descriptions and laughed out loud a lot, too. This being said, it depicts a very deep and consuming grief. While I have never experienced anything like this, it seems that she has articulated it quite accurately and vividly. I felt overwhelmed reading it and wanted it to stop hurting her so much. But I guess that is the point. It is heavy and real. I did love the relationships in this book. Eve’s family was especially remarkable and also very real. I believed that they were real.
Anyone going through grief needs to be aware of what they are picking up before they begin this book. It is disturbing at many points.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide and Grief

Moderate: Alcohol and Drug use

wlreed312's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

 

I really enjoyed this, but it was very rough in places. Watching Eve go through her grief for her husband who committed suicide is real and heartbreaking. The emotions displayed are raw and honest, and I loved Eve's family (especially Junior). I think the journey she goes on is something anyone who has grieved a love one can relate to, even if the circumstances of the death the reader experienced is totally different than Eve's loss. I do wish Q's depression had been slightly more fleshed out. The anger that Eve and her family express is understandable, but it would have been nice to have a secondary character talk a bit more about mental illness. As someone who has struggled with suicidal ideation for the majority of my life, it was hard to see that anger directed at a character who we don't know much about how long he had been fighting to stay. Again, I do think the anger is understandable, and I know how much anger is a part of grief. The book is incredibly strong, that was the only area I thought could have been a bit better. Excellent debut, but definitely take care when reading, especially if stories dealing with grief are hard for you.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Suicide

Moderate: Racism and Alcohol

Minor: Death of parent

ukponge's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Death, and Drug use

Moderate: Death of parent

mayrow26's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad 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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, Suicide, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, Death, Pregnancy, and Self harm

zeebookdragon's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad medium-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

I don’t how to encompass the depth of this book. Eve is drowning in her grief even surrounded by the love of her family. The story is a very heavy one full of all the stages of grief. It speaks to how one can ache to be better, but have no idea what the looks like anymore.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, Self harm, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Alcohol and Cursing

loafyn's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Addiction, Alcohol, Bullying, Suicide, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Mental illness, Racism, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Grief, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

soobooksalot's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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

4.5

Someday, Maybe is an amazing debut from Onyi Nwabineli.
 Eve has lost her beloved husband, Quentin, to suicide. She found him. There was no note.
 We are taken through her agony and grief, and get to know her family and friends as they struggle to keep her above water.
 Eve goes through all the reactions from missing Q, to feeling abandoned and guilty for not knowing the "why", and reminiscing about their life together. All the while dealing with one of the more contentious inlaw relationships put to page.
 "Closure is not promised. It is a gift, and my husband chose to keep it from me."
 Despite the subject matter, Someday, Maybe is also darkly wry. 
 It's also a look into the different cultures that made up Eve and Quentin's relationship, with Eve's close-knit Nigerian family contrasting Quentin's aloof and unsupportive dynamic.
 To sum up, Nwabineli's writing feels absolutely effortless and the characters are brilliantly created. So pleased to have made this my first BOTM pick. Recommended!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Blood, Grief, Self harm, Alcohol, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, Drug use, Death, Pregnancy, and Car accident

freshprincessofmelayers's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, and Drug abuse

Minor: Toxic relationship, Racism, and Pregnancy

laurenkimoto's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-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

4.5

Here are three things you should know about this book:

1. It will emotionally eviscerate you 
2. It is an absolutely beautiful and heart wrenching portrayal of grief 
3. The love of this family is endless 

And one thing you should know about me

1. I read this whole thing in less than a week 

bonus fact: No, I am not okay

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Grief, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Medical content, Racism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcoholism, Classism, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse

agnesbebon's review against another edition

4.0

Harper Collins get your shit together so I can post my review pls! 

Today is the 50th day of the Harper Collins Union strike. I stand with union workers.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Medical content, Racism, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Death, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Abortion