Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus

28 reviews

melodyseestrees's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

2.5

This book is very slow for the first 60%. There is a lot of focus on drama unrelated to the underlying mystery and characters that don't matter past the initial burst of drama. There is somehow not enough focus on any of these characters to pull off a red herring maneuver. You can basically figure out the plot by the 70% mark aside from a few details that were mishandled, in my opinion. There is also a romance between a 17 year old and someone who is old enough to have graduated college.

There is a character blatantly introduced at the 90% mark. He is mentioned two to four times throughout the book but only in passing as the "intense guy." To no one's surprise he is one of the three culprits and not at all a red herring. There are three culprits: Emma, Owen, Jared Jackson. Jared Jackson made a deal with Emma in a revenge board. Emma did this through the use of her sister's phone as she had conveniently lost hers. Emma admits this all from the hospital bed where she is suffering from the effects of alcohol poisoning. When Emma backs out by ghosting on Jared, Owen (the little brother) steps in, steals the pseudonym, and pursues revenge against Brandon for the death of his father. Emma and Phoebe agree to act like Jared fabricated Owen's messages to protect him.

The reveal right at the end of the book is a very cheap gimmick and though it was executed properly, it feels unrealistic to how someone of that age demographic would respond to the info they'd acquired.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Bullying, Violence, Blood, Sexual assault, Death, Alcoholism, Murder, Vomit, Child death, Chronic illness, and Cancer

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Child death, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, and Stalking

Minor: Suicide, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Death, Homophobia, and Racism

There is a subplot of a bomb but only one person is injured and they survive but will have scars. There was also a subplot of a corrupt police officer who framed and blackmailed someone for drugs.

sophiabooks6's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.25

This book was very entertaining and I loved reading it! While the first book, One of us is Lying is better, I found myself very interested in the characters and trying to guess what would happen next. The ending is a bit confusing but it's still very much worth the read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Toxic relationship, and Cancer

Moderate: Sexual assault

taelights's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Personally I didn't like this one as much as the first book until the very end because I just disliked all the characters so I just couldn't get into it. I think this author is just not for me and I should just stick the the tv adaption but i will be giving the next book a read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Bullying, Medical trauma, Terminal illness, Vomit, Cancer, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child death, Death, Chronic illness, Medical content, Murder, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

graceev's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• 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: Alcohol, Bullying, Cancer, Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Medical content, Death of parent, Death, and Infidelity

luxxltyd's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Cancer, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Sexual assault

franticfreya's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer

Moderate: Alcoholism, Stalking, Sexual assault, Grief, Bullying, Blood, and Death of parent

Minor: Medical content, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Toxic friendship

literallyliterature's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Alcohol, and Cancer

Moderate: Blood, Cursing, Death, Toxic friendship, Murder, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Violence, Death of parent, and Sexual content

Minor: Vomit and Homophobia

shanno_h0's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, and Murder

kjm_x's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Cancer, Stalking, Terminal illness, Violence, and Vomit

ecn's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

Not bad, better than the first in certain ways. I wish the characters (old and new) were a bit more fleshed out. I wanted to know more about them as people outside of the story. I was also hoping for more character development. I’ll definitely be reading the 3rd when it comes out in hopes of more development but I’m not betting on it.

I didn’t see the ending coming though, which was nice (crazy) surprise.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Chronic illness, Blood, Murder, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Grief, Bullying, Self harm, Alcoholism, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Violence, Sexism, Death of parent, Death, Cancer, and Addiction