Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The First Bright Thing by J.R. Dawson

26 reviews

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

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Antisemitism

Minor: Self harm and Alcohol

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

3.5

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.

---

Content Warnings

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

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

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.

---

Content Warnings

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

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

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

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. 

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Body shaming, Gun violence, and Kidnapping

Minor: Eating disorder

briophyta'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!

---

Content Warnings

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

Minor: Vomit

rhi_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Death, Violence, and War

Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Homophobia, Antisemitism, Lesbophobia, and Alcohol

atlastheninth's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring 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

3.75

This is a lovely story about the past being the past and while we need to worry about the future we have to live in the present and make the best of it. It is about self-acceptance and choosing your own family. 

It was good and I did like the ending, but overall I was a bit underwhelmed. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gaslighting, and War

Moderate: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Antisemitism, and Death of parent

Minor: Child abuse and Genocide

the_lesbrarian's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Dawson’s debut novel promises a truly unique premise for fans of The Night Circus and Cloud Cuckoo Land. Set primarily in 1920s midwest USA, The First Bright Thing offers an alternate reality where, at the close of the first world war, millions of people were bestowed with sparks, a single magical power stemming from their most desperate wish.

Rin uses her ability to travel through space and time to create a magical circus and refuge for outcast sparks. She and her wife dedicate their lives to saving others through art, performance, and magic. However, when Rin travels forward and sees the horrors the near future holds, she struggles to stay grounded in the present. 

Dawson weaves together so many threads in so few pages that sometimes the story can feel a little rushed— I particularly wish that more time had been dedicated to relationships between the characters, which were central to the plot, but not often thoroughly developed. 

The First Bright Thing delicately explores identity, family, what we owe to the people we love, and how much choice we really have in our futures. 

rep:

-jewish mc

-wlw main 

-mlm side 

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Blood, and Death of parent

Minor: Genocide, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, and Antisemitism

More details on the domestic abuse:

it is very central to the story. The main character is in a prolonged relationship with an abusive man who has the power to make people do whatever he says, and he is a constant threat/main villain throughout the novel. Reading how the main character is forced to obey and believe him may be very triggering. Take care of yourself <3

hopefully_jamie's review

adventurous dark sad tense 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and War

onegalonelife27's review

hopeful inspiring mysterious 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and War

Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent, and Murder