Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

16 reviews

lucyhicks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative medium-paced

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

3.0

I really wanted to love this book and there was so much that was great about it. Each character’s story was poignant and striking, and I loved the way they were all intertwined. My problem was that I just couldn’t quite bring myself to care deeply enough about any of them. Maybe that’s part and parcel of having that many characters, but I found their stories less powerful because I wasn’t truly invested in them as people. This varied from person to person, and some characters evoked more emotion than others, but I wish there had been fewer characters and more plot overall. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Child abuse, Classism, Toxic relationship, Death, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Rape, Racism, Pregnancy, Misogyny, and Homophobia

amandas_bookshelf'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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Outing, Slavery, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Bullying, Colonisation, Cursing, Grief, Homophobia, Misogyny, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Classism, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Islamophobia, Racism, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Domestic abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Transphobia, and Xenophobia

Minor: Infertility

lynxpardinus's review

challenging emotional reflective

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Racial slurs, Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Lesbophobia, Medical content, Child abuse, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Transphobia, Death, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Hate crime, and Homophobia

Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse, Islamophobia, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Ableism, Pedophilia, Slavery, Suicide, War, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child death, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Sexual content

Minor: Antisemitism, Cancer, Confinement, Miscarriage, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Animal death, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Incest warning is just in case, for an affair between in-laws.

megb64's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Sexism, Death, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Classism, Racism, Rape, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Dysphoria, and Grief

zara89's review against another edition

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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Racism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Chronic illness, Infertility, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Terminal illness, Classism, Death, Body shaming, Child death, Grief, Racism, Violence, Bullying, Abandonment, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Child abuse, and Death of parent

Minor: Cancer and Drug use

mirandawerts's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

An amazing book crossing families and generations through black woman and queer experiences. Not only was each individual story incredible, but it was also a really interesting exploration of radical ideas/wokeness as they change with different experiences in each generation that I found incredibly interesting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, and Racism

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

thedisabledreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Incest, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Ableism, Alcohol, Child abuse, Classism, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, and Suicidal thoughts

maiahhtratchh's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective 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

3.25

I loved the characters and, even when I didn’t necessarily love them, I felt like I could understand them better. I found the pacing of the book, and how disjointed it was (stylistic choice not a writing error), was difficult for me to get into for long periods. It was very ebb and flow interest. I basically had a hard time getting into each new character but as soon as I was in it it would switch to someone else. It was a good book, it just wasn’t necessarily my favourite. I have listed A LOT of trigger warnings, however, it being a social commentary, they are used to explore the nuances and intersectionality between race, class, sexuality, and gender and do not overpower the commentary. However, I LOVED the ending and epilogue. It was so emotional and that was probably my favourite storyline.

it also answered my main question of how Penelope fit into the story, beyond working with Shirley. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, and Deadnaming

Moderate: Miscarriage, Child abuse, and Child death

Minor: Cancer

Child sexual abuse, adoption trauma

orlagal's review

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Body shaming, Child death, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Outing, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Toxic relationship

anapthine's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny informative reflective 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

4.75

Really enjoyed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Colonisation, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Infertility, Hate crime, Grief, Death, Lesbophobia, Xenophobia, Child death, Sexism, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, Violence, Rape, Racism, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Bullying, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Mental illness, and Infidelity

Moderate: Slavery, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Violence, and Drug abuse

Minor: Addiction, Biphobia, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, and Alcoholism