Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

13 reviews

fpcat99's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Cannibalism, Child death, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Sexism, Toxic relationship, War, Animal death, Death, Abandonment, Child abuse, Classism, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Pandemic/Epidemic, Racism, Religious bigotry, Slavery, and Vomit

bmpicc's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense 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

3.0

This was my 3rd book by Kingsolver. It took me longer than expected, but I'm glad I didn't rush and risk missing something. Why then 3 stars? Simple. I enjoyed it, but 546 pages still seemed like a bit much. It is an interesting character study and I think whether you are religious or not, there is (or could be) a takeaway for each reader.

"As long as I kept moving, my grief streamed out behind me like a swimmer's long hair in water. I knew the weight was there but it didn't touch me."

"There are Christians and then there are Christian."

"The power is in the balance: we are our injuries, as much as we are our successes." 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Classism, Grief, Racism, Violence, Child death, Animal death, Suicide attempt, Slavery, War, Colonisation, Cultural appropriation, Religious bigotry, Blood, Toxic relationship, and Bullying

amsswim's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative 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

5.0

I think this is going in not only 5 star category, but favorites and best books I've read categories. Not only was the story good, but the writing kept me engaged and seeking more the whole time. This author had such beautiful and realistic ways of making these characters come to life, as well as tie in real world implications and reflections. 

You follow 4 daughters, their Mother, and Baptist Pastor Father deep into the Congo on their Fathers' mission to convert the people living there to Western Christianity. While the family goes through culture shock regarding that and their new realities, the country is self is trying to shed itself of Belgian colonialism. Despite it taking place in the 1960s, the story and the real world events occuring now still echo the exact same. I highly recommend this to anyone looking for a more modern classic. 

My favorite quote: "I found ... I had now wings ... I had lost my wings. Don't ask me how I gained them back, the story is too unbearable. I believed too long in false reassurances; believing as we all want to, when men speak of the national interests that it is also ours. In the end, my lot was cast with The Congo. Poor Congo; barefoot bride of men who took her jewels and promised the kingdom"

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Child abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, Child death, Ableism, Religious bigotry, Violence, Death, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Domestic abuse, Racism, Misogyny, Animal death, Colonisation, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and War

Moderate: Animal cruelty

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Trafficking, Genocide, and Medical content

nialiversuch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body shaming, Grief, Hate crime, Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Classism, Colonisation, Confinement, Child abuse, Racial slurs, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, War, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Body horror, Bullying, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, Racism, Abandonment, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Mental illness, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Child death, Gore, Genocide, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Torture, Cannibalism, Sexual content, Vomit, Cursing, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, and Fire/Fire injury

courtmarquis's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Colonisation

Moderate: War, Child death, Religious bigotry, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

thebearnest's review against another edition

adventurous informative sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Gaslighting, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Colonisation, Grief, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Xenophobia, Death of parent, Violence, Animal death, Child death, Ableism, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, and Murder

Minor: Infertility, Vomit, Cannibalism, Genocide, Medical content, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Slavery, and Torture

silverrose187's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative reflective sad tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Ableism, Bullying, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Violence, War, Classism, Xenophobia, Genocide, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Chronic illness, and Pregnancy

knenigans's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Colonisation, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, and Child death

Moderate: Genocide, Violence, War, Toxic relationship, Racism, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Grief

lets_book's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Death, Toxic relationship, Child death, Religious bigotry, and Sexism

Moderate: Colonisation, Murder, Violence, and Ableism

barefootbetsy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Classism, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Ableism, Religious bigotry, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Genocide, Emotional abuse, Grief, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: War, Abandonment, Chronic illness, Trafficking, Xenophobia, Body horror, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Violence