Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Normalni ludzie by Sally Rooney

365 reviews

withlivjones's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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

3.5

I really wanted to love this book, especially considering all the hype that surrounds it. And there were definitely things that I enjoyed about it. I thought Connell and Marianne were really interesting as individual characters, Sally Rooney is very good at creating these very flawed but nonetheless relatable and sympathetic characters. Both Connell’s struggles with his mental health and Marianne’s abuse at home which leads her to pursue toxic friendships and relationships outside her home were very interesting to read. It’s a real shame that the relationship between the two was the most boring part of the book. The sentiment of two characters whose lives are intimately tangled together is a very intriguing one, but when their relationship ends up being a continuous cycle of miscommunication after miscommunication, it gets old pretty quickly. If it’s a trope you enjoy, this book will probably be right up your street. But for me, I’ve come to realise that no matter how well written (and this is a very well written book), it’s a trope that I really don’t enjoy. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexual content, Suicide, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Minor: Racism

itsrua's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Grief

Minor: Body shaming, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Abortion, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

ahrya's review against another edition

emotional fast-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Violence

nklimczak's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

Moderate: Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Grief

jennaviolet's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Bullying, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

elizabethww's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.0

Not an awful book, but weak and lazy ending. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

alexisbee15's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.5

This story began as a wonderful and youthful tale of forbidden love, but morphed into a hyper-realistic reflection of life. This is not the book if you are hoping for a happy ending or tragic romance. It's somehow perfectly balanced in-between. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Classism

lauraloveslemons's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Drug use, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Blood, Car accident, and Death of parent

jlblumenfeld's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

luluellis33's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism