Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black

18 reviews

rchulin1's review against another edition

lighthearted 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

3.25

A nice edition to a trilogy even though it is just a novella. I would have liked some more background and I don’t necessarily think it’s necessary to read this but good nonetheless 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship and Violence

bookwyrm242's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Abandonment, Drug use, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, and Toxic friendship

moonchild_cos's review against another edition

adventurous emotional fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, and Child abuse

Minor: Abandonment, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Bullying, and Grief

sxndaze's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Abandonment

Moderate: Violence and Infidelity

Minor: Murder and Sexual content

themichellegray's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

2024 Re-Read - 5 stars
A must-read for any fan of The Folk of the Air series! It adds so much context to an already rich story and remains one of my all-time favorite novellas!

Original 2021 Read - 5 stars
This is probably the best novella I've ever read.

It was interesting to learn more about Cardan's upbringing and details that led to the events of The Cruel Prince. Holly Black developed such incredibly complex characters within this series who shined through her incredible storytelling. The cleverness of this story's craftsmanship is what really stood out the most.

This was both a simple yet brilliant addition to the main character's stories and I hope we will one day get more content set within this world!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Drug use, Abandonment, and Infidelity

Moderate: Violence, Bullying, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Classism

lindasoderlundd's review against another edition

adventurous informative fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Drug use, Alcohol, and Abandonment

Moderate: Bullying, Toxic friendship, and Child abuse

chasesys's review against another edition

adventurous dark lighthearted fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism

Moderate: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship

elderwoodreads's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

4.5

This is a lovely post script to The Folk of the Air series, the illustrations really made it extra special. I like that we both got prequel and epilogue Cardan. If I had any criticism it would be that I wish there had been a little more on the epilogue side. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse and Infidelity

Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Drug use, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Toxic relationship, Blood, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

theintrovertsbooks's review against another edition

adventurous emotional fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Drug abuse, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Slavery, Domestic abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Bullying, Abandonment, and Torture

Minor: Violence

kendra_taylors_version's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse and Abandonment

Moderate: Alcohol, Bullying, Infidelity, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Toxic relationship