Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Manhunt by Gretchen Felker-Martin

62 reviews

demikevy's review

It was nothing but misery, and triggered dysphoria 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Violence, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual violence

our_lady_of_perpetual_bad_luck's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Infertility, Outing, Vomit, Violence, Blood, Death, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Genocide, Hate crime, Medical content, War, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual content, Transphobia, Body horror, Sexual assault, Suicide, and Cannibalism

Moderate: Dysphoria, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Body shaming, Classism, Drug use, Cursing, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Fatphobia, Medical trauma, Outing, and Eating disorder

Minor: Abandonment, Confinement, Alcohol, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Terminal illness, Trafficking, Animal death, Cancer, Deadnaming, Excrement, Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, and Kidnapping

bookishmillennial's review

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

disclaimer: I don’t really give starred reviews. I hope my reviews provide enough information to let you know if a book is for you or not. Find me here: https://linktr.ee/bookishmillennial

I am going to be frank - I will likely be processing what I read for a while, so I’m unsure if I’ll have anything coherent to say, other than to check content warnings below (a lot of shock value stuff in this) if you decide to read this book and take care while reading. 

I will try another book by the author, but I feel conflicted about this book. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fatphobia, Sexism, Violence, Toxic relationship, Pandemic/Epidemic, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Excrement, Gore, Murder, Sexual violence, and Torture

hauntedantiqueshop's review

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

TERFs hate this book because they’re transphobic and weak. I (they/them) hate this book because it’s bad. We are NOT the same. 😤

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Deadnaming, Rape, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Transphobia, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Violence, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, Medical content, Hate crime, Gore, Dysphoria, Death, Body horror, and Blood

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, Cannibalism, Fatphobia, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Antisemitism and Racism

lots f slurs dropped, right off the bat

jp_riemersma's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense 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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Sexual assault, Self harm, Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Injury/Injury detail, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Death, Infidelity, Hate crime, Dysphoria, Biphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Rape, Transphobia, War, Violence, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Murder, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Sexism, Gun violence, Gore, Genocide, Deadnaming, Cannibalism, Body horror, and Body shaming

noonanjohnc's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Abortion, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Medical content, Torture, Abandonment, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Misogyny, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Body horror, Deadnaming, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infertility, Sexism, Drug use, Eating disorder, Hate crime, Mental illness, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Death of parent, Medical trauma, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Transphobia, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Body shaming, Confinement, Racism, Self harm, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Grief, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, War, Colonisation, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Death, Fatphobia, Gore, Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, and Trafficking

babayagareads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

I don't think I'm going to make a habit of recommending this read. There are some jarring plot movements without transitional context. 

I'd also add that some of the quirks were a little too on the nose - like naming the ship the Galbraith. That would have been fine individually, but including that detail after specifically killing off Rowling in a side story was a little much. And I'm not a J.K. person either - it's more to say that one of those details would have been a more pure add to the plot and story, whereas both seems too pointed.

This book is definitely not for the weak-stomached.

I'm content with having read this piece, but it's not one that I'm going to recommend to others. If you're thinking of reading something that is going to make you uncomfortable, go ahead. 

The biggest content warning I've got is also a spoiler: very early in this book there is

one of the most graphic anal/yussy rape scenes I've ever encountered in a book or movie.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Suicide, Drug use, Car accident, Deadnaming, Rape, Confinement, Genocide, Medical content, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Gun violence, Slavery, Transphobia, Violence, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Gore, Terminal illness, Child death, Murder, Outing, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, War, Body shaming, Biphobia, Sexual assault, Death, Fatphobia, and Body horror

You want to feel uncomfortable? This book has it all!

chelbawamba's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

Just wasn’t for me! The writing style and pace were confusing with massive time jumps that I didn’t realise had happened and had to keep going back and trying to find what I missed. There was also a lack of character and relationship development, with lots of new characters introduced towards the end. There are also constant explicit, rough sex scenes which isn’t a “bad” thing, just not my cup of tea.

I definitely see why there are people that love this book. I love a lot of weird gross unhinged horror books. Just not this one!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Biphobia, Body horror, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Cannibalism, Chronic illness, Deadnaming, Death, Rape, War, Body shaming, Drug use, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Self harm, Cancer, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Gore, Mental illness, Outing, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual content, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, Transphobia, Violence, Child death, Excrement, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Slavery, Vomit, Alcoholism, Cursing, Dysphoria, Genocide, Gun violence, Medical content, and Toxic friendship

vixenreader's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful 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

Despite some lagging in the plot, the characterization and world-building is phenomenal, and the exploration of gender politics and transphobia is nuanced and unabashed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Trafficking, Sexual content, Genocide, Infidelity, Outing, Cursing, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Cannibalism, Sexual violence, Body shaming, Blood, Death, Violence, Classism, Gore, Misogyny, Alcohol, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Rape

Moderate: Gun violence, Hate crime, Deadnaming, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Torture, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Animal death, Body shaming, Addiction, Stalking, and Car accident

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Ableism, Addiction, Infertility, Abandonment, Vomit, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia

The transphobia is intense, and mainly comes from cis-women. Cis-men are now feral, so there is a fair amount of castration.

katipheria's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.25

I had a love/hate relationship with this book. The general premise of the world-building is fantastic and unique, and as much as I hate to say it, were it to become our own reality I'm sure that the world would ultimately align itself in a similar fashion

in that cis women would be more likely to fall into a TERF or at least TERF-adjacent stance, if only due to the uncertainty and fear. Even those who consider themselves to be the best possible ally are still at risk simply due to the drive for self-preservation.

It's a terrifying situation and highlights a lot of ugly truths in reality.

However, the actual story within this world just doesn't do it for me. There's a lot of unnecessary sex scenes and as someone who prefers to avoid an excess amount of that (regardless of sex/gender of participants), I found myself skimming a lot to get back to the actual plot and feeling disappointed. While I understand that an apocalyptic setting inspires depravity and these moments highlight an innate desire for comfort and companionship,

the MC Fran's general poor treatment and better-than-you attitude towards her supposed friends makes things even more unappealing.

While it's not necessarily a horrible book, it is most definitely designed to be an uncomfortable read centered around characters who don't have many redeeming qualities.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Genocide, Blood, Body horror, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Biphobia, Cannibalism, Classism, Death, Sexual violence, Ableism, Body shaming, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Grief, Hate crime, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Slavery, Toxic friendship, and Transphobia