Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

42 reviews

lusignank's review against another edition

dark

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Incest, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Miscarriage

kmart29's review against another edition

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

colormekinetic's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Incest, Misogyny, and Infidelity

rwlongino's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad medium-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

2.0

This would have been so much better without the explicit child sex abuse scenes. It felt like trauma porn and took away from the narrative. Would have been four stars if those scenes would have been more subtle/nuanced.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Incest, Sexual harassment, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Child abuse, Bullying, Sexual content, Alcohol, Murder, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity

sarahbrowell'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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Child death

rubberrosebooks's review against another edition

emotional 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, and Alcohol

Moderate: Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Suicide, Death, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Cancer

mellimeldisiel's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

Not my type of read - difficult, challenging, full of lies and deception that examines the best and worst of humanity side-by-side and places people in impossible situations that are poignantly perfect. The prose is astounding: sweeping grand details and minor aspects vivified with language and longing that was addictive and repulsive in subject matter at times. A mixed read - well written but not my favourite. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Murder, Child death, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Cancer, Grief, Miscarriage, Rape, Infidelity, and Incest

talyahonor23's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

While I enjoyed the reading this book and the writing style, I hated every single character.  Why did shegave to go into so much deatil with the child abuse? Even the adult sex scenes were either violent or too explicit.  And Why was everyone so rich and so beautiful? The only one who is considered neither is poor Gina. There was also a lot of sexual violence against most females characters as well as everyone leading very shitty lives. Was no one allowed ro be happy for real? I hate cheaters but I was intrigued by their story. The author is a little dated...using butter on a burn has been considered an old wives tale for years. Her obsession with meat and dairy is also a little out of touch. But it was an easy and interesting read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Cancer, Death, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Body shaming, Child death, Incest, Medical trauma, Grief, Rape, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

georgie_mb's review

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

2.75

I feel really mixed about this. Maybe this is more of a 2.75 than a 3…

Let’s start with the positives: the descriptions are truly beautiful, and that honestly was a whole star in my rrating system. I could see The Paper Palace and it’s surrounding, it was a very sensory experience. 
For some reason (and I don’t really know why), I got more into this in the second half than the first, and I’m wondering whether it was because I settled into the banter of the family. Possibly because it reminded me slightly of my own…

I do have some issues with it though. Firstly I don’t think it helped that the Audible narrator sounded like the female US Siri which made some of it come across as very cold. But I think even looking past that, some parts really lacked emotion, and almost came across as harsh. I found this particularly hard to swallow when it come to the really disturbing parts, so much so I had to skip forward sometimes. 

I also found the storyline lacked purpose. I think with the beginning it set it up to be a completely different book to what it turned out to be, and I was left slightly disappointed by that. There just didn’t seem to be any clear direction, regardless of the varying time lines. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Sexual assault, Death, Incest, Infidelity, and Rape

Moderate: Cancer, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

kyraelisabeth's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, Pregnancy, Domestic abuse, Incest, Miscarriage, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment