Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

20 reviews

oujo_umi's review

adventurous fast-paced

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

3.5

I saw the broadway musical first which I really enjoyed and decided to read the book when I found out the show was based off it. It was a  fun story with a satisfying ending.

For the most part everyone felt staticly “good” or “bad” without much development. As someone who typically is drawn to stories for the characters, I didn’t really connect. However the plot’s momentum toward the disaster teased in the first chapter was exciting enough to make up for that. I enjoyed how I could get pulled into the circus from the detailed descriptions.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, Violence, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Alcoholism and Terminal illness

stephmcoakley's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Abandonment, Animal death, Death of parent, Car accident, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Medical content, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Medical trauma, Violence, and Vomit

lkcoon's review

adventurous emotional informative reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Violence

Moderate: Physical abuse and Murder

jneverland's review

adventurous dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Death, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Murder, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Alcohol, Antisemitism, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Drug use, Car accident, Medical content, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Violence, Grief, Sexism, Sexual content, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Death of parent

justaddwater's review

adventurous 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Classism, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Violence, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Classism, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, Pregnancy, Police brutality, Alcoholism, and Bullying

asienerbrown's review

adventurous challenging dark sad tense 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, and Bullying

Moderate: Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Cursing, Gaslighting, Animal death, Sexual content, and Physical abuse

Minor: Death of parent and Car accident

odessablaine's review

dark emotional funny tense 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: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Violence, Animal death, Death, Murder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Bullying

axel_p's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Adult/minor relationship, Ableism, Alcohol, Addiction, Dementia, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Fatphobia, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Body shaming, Car accident, Chronic illness, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Racism, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, and Violence

itsbumley's review

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Blood, Death, Grief, Sexual content, Alcoholism, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Violence

nat20charisma's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.25

It was my second time reading the book, but I have a much different perspective since a decade has passed since my first read through. I think the levity of the situation hit me much harder this go around.

I didn’t think much on the questions of aging before, but this time I saw more of those themes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Animal cruelty, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, and Physical abuse

Minor: Cursing, Death of parent, Car accident, Blood, Pregnancy, and Sexual content