Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson

21 reviews

julesg's review

dark reflective medium-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, War, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Grief, Alcoholism, Xenophobia, Violence, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Bullying

lea_oaktrees's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

An incredible and lyrical story with well developed complex characters. Deals with darker and more difficult themes but has worthwhile reflexions on hope and finding meaning in the day-to-day joys and in eachother. I couldn’t put this book down and completely loved it from start to finish. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Eating disorder

katiewithhats's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Alcoholism and Antisemitism

aurora512's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting and Toxic relationship

aj_langley's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Self harm, Domestic abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Antisemitism

aroma_of_books's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, War, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Antisemitism

Minor: Alcohol and Self harm

starlitpage's review

dark hopeful medium-paced

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

3.75

This book suffers a bit from a case of modern sensibilities in a period novel. But if you can get through the first few chapters, it justifies itself with meaning and hope grounded in the book's present. In the end, it does have a modern queer hopefulness that reminds me of Becky Chambers or TJ Klune, and the period of it--sandwiched between the first and second world wars, with what that entails for a time-hopper--serves that message. I'm still not entirely sure how much to trust the historical accuracy,  but at least there's an in-text acknowledgement of the most glaring anachronism (to me, with my circus experience) and a list of sources on circus history in.the acknowledgements pages.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Body horror, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Police brutality, Antisemitism, Death of parent, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, and Self harm

Minor: Genocide, Misogyny, and Lesbophobia

The narrative is on the right side against homophobia and antisemitism

blacksphinx's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? Yes

4.0

There's just one character where every part of her, from her personality, to her actions, to the way her storyline ends, that I found extremely annoying. I also don't feel that the two major plotlines really ever came together in a way that was satisfying. Those criticisms aside, it was wonderful to read a fantasy story that was deeply steeped in Judaism, and a "found family" story that actually sells you on how the characters are a family.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Alcoholism, Death of parent, War, Body horror, Gore, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Gun violence, Homophobia, Antisemitism, Classism, Genocide, and Hate crime

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual violence, Forced institutionalization, Vomit, and Eating disorder

TW: Eye trauma, references to the Holocaust, graphic descriptions of the effect of atomic bombs on the human body.

anntharai's review against another edition

dark hopeful reflective sad fast-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

Jfc this book is devastating. Like. If you have a button, this story pushes - and not just the big ones in big obvious ways. It's the little ways it reminds you of things, the one liners that you need to pause and think about, but for others will just pass them by. Which, is really apt considering one of the main mechanics of the story. 

It's fucking terrifying, sad, hopeful.  Ita about trauma and finding yourself, inevitability and searching for good. 


I picked this up because it caught my eye in the new arrivals but I'm gonna be thinking about this book for years. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Blood, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Biphobia, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Gore, Grief, Homophobia, and Sexism

Moderate: Gun violence, Body shaming, and Kidnapping

Minor: Eating disorder

eener's review

SUPER triggering as a survivor of abuse trying to listen to this audiobook. I think it's really irresponsible of the author to not have a big trigger warning on the first page or the cover or something. From reading the blurb about the plot and the author this sounds like it could be a great story and great representation of queerness, but the voice of the terrifying abuser loudly barging into every scene is very disturbing and seems tone deaf considering the significantly higher rate of abuse that happens to people in our community... and not only that but SO many other types of traumas just casually dropped in all over the place for almost every character encountered in the first few chapters. It was unbearably triggering, I actually had to take anxiety medicine to calm down after trying to push through and then realizing it was just too much and immediately returning the book in the library app. The writing is also frustratingly confusing and poorly paced imo!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , War, Religious bigotry, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, and Xenophobia

Minor: Vomit