Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Radio Silence by Alice Oseman

47 reviews

alice451's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol

Moderate: Suicide, Violence, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

ecravens's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny sad slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Child abuse, Animal death, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts

amelianotthepilot's review against another edition

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Suicidal thoughts

i_island's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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? N/A

2.0

I loved universe city and just about nothing else all too much. It’s really a story about Aled, but because Frances is the narrator, it feels derivative. Apart from her, I liked all the characters though.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Toxic relationship

memoirsofabooklover's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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

---

Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Mental illness, Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Alcohol

anna_hepworth's review against another edition

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

4.0

Oseman does a great job of writing believable but flawed young adults, and the stress associated with the transition from high school to 'the rest of your life', with or without parental pressure. I greatly appreciated that while there is a parent whose parenting style made me go argh, it was not the the viewpoint character's (Frances) parent -- we got to see a slightly odd but working parent/child relationship from the inside, as Frances and their parent interact throughout the story. 

The framing narrative of the storytelling podcast, along with the far too believable online fan interaction gives a much needed break at times. Because there are some very stressful moments in the story, not least related to exam stress, exam results, university entrance and acceptances. 

Although there is a romantic relationship that is core to the story, this is not a romance, but a story of multiple friendships. Of growing up and changing and working out what is important. 

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol and Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal death and Child abuse

Toxic relationship is a parent/child(ren), and while relevant to the story isn't a large part of it.

mme_carton's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective 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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Sexual harassment

bitsandbobsdivination's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

4.25

I love how deeply this book was rooted in friendship and creating true, real, and very raw connections with others. I really enjoyed the first half as well as was very nervous for the characters in the second as things blew up to the point I wasn’t sure which way it would go. 

Beautiful story as a reminder that we do have a choice in the end and there is always another way if we allow ourselves to seek it. 🗝✨

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Child abuse, and Stalking

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

colorful_lulu's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Content Warning: Dog murder, physically & emotionally abusive parent/mother, mental health

I loved how the main boy-girl friendship that doesn’t become anything romantic. Heck, this is addressed early on in the book that it gets annoying when anonymous Tumblr users and Frances’s so-called “friends” assume that because Frances and Aled have a boy-girl friendship, it’s romantic. Instead, the childhood best friend to lover trope between Aled and Daniel was the only lasting romantic relationship throughout the book.

This book has really an original storyline. You begin with drunk Aled admitting that he’s Radio and Frances trying to form a friendship without ruining it by fangirling, to Aled’s deepest secret splashed all over the internet ruining the trust between them, and ending with Frances, Daniel, Carys, and Raine driving 6 hours to find Aled in university and stopping him from going back to his abusive mother. Even from the beginning, I wanted to scream at how unpredictable, relatable, and just how original the story is. With little details building up to create the final storyline, truly like Universe City. 

A final comment: I’m surprised at how little the [b:Heartstopper: Volume One|40495957|Heartstopper Volume One (Heartstopper, #1)|Alice Oseman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1541887843l/40495957._SY75_.jpg|62811229] characters are mentioned in the book. The characters never use their name but you know it’s Tori, Charlie, and Nick. And you know that the book takes place after [b:Solitaire|20618110|Solitaire|Alice Oseman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1390416741l/20618110._SY75_.jpg|39901420] because of the girl’s school burned down in the prologue and it has been mentioned a couple of times.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Gaslighting, and Grief

entityj's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Child abuse, Confinement, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Bullying, and Emotional abuse