Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

172 reviews

mandycantsleep's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Drug use, Sexual assault, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Child abuse, Suicide, Abortion, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, and Homophobia

Minor: Blood, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy

leah_tracy's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Drug use, Alcohol, and Rape

Moderate: Car accident, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Abortion, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Sexual content, Violence, Death, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Suicide

themelaniewaite's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

There’s just something about re-reading a book that you love and having the chance to revisit the story and all the ways it once made you feel. Though this is far from a comforting storyline, taking the time to read it again, through an adult lens and distanced from the teen that once needed this story, it’s like visiting an old friend that made you feel safe and seen in their presence. 

I have so much love for this book (and the movie tbh), and have been recommending it from the moment I first read it. Even all these years later, it holds such a special place in my heart. Charlie will always be a character I resonate with. The storytelling format being in the style of letters - as though the reader is the receiver - makes it so much more personal, and adds a layer of relatability to Charlie’s character. He shares and expresses so much I wish I had been brave enough to share at fifteen - or even when I first read this (and now!). 

It is such a unique method of writing and truly captures the turmoils in those formidable coming-of-age years. I do wonder how life may have turned out if I had the chance to read this earlier sooner, but I truly believe this story found me just when I needed it and I will be forever grateful to Stephen Chbosky for this remarkable, beautiful book. 

TW: 

There are a lot of heavy themes within this book, including (but not limited to): SA, r-pe, child SA, mental health, homophobia, ab-se, ab-rtion. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Cursing, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Domestic abuse, Grief, Alcohol, Sexual assault, and Abortion

Moderate: Alcohol, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Drug abuse, Rape, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Addiction, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Car accident, Domestic abuse, and Hate crime

gellyreads's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I'm rounding up on this one because I feel like this book tries to cover a lot. I'm not sure it handles all of these serious topics well, but I think it is admirable that it tries to tackle all of these ideas while showing unique expressions of gender, identity, and personality expression. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Drug use, Pedophilia, Rape, Homophobia, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol

sleepyochre's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing sad tense 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

Moderate: Cursing, Drug abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Abortion, Emotional abuse, Grief, Hate crime, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Drug use, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Bullying, Death, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Car accident

violetbentbackwards1036's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Medical content, Sexual content, Grief, Rape, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Mental illness, Outing, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Suicide

mskingbean69's review

mysterious sad tense 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Suicide, Homophobia, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, and Toxic relationship

probablytoolate's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Homophobia, Abortion, Drug use, Sexual content, Rape, and Addiction

Moderate: Alcohol, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Drug use, Homophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, and Toxic relationship

penn79's review

dark hopeful inspiring 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

Graphic: Outing, Car accident, Bullying, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide attempt, Homophobia, Self harm, Child abuse, Abortion, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Grief, and Sexual assault

kiwij96's review

challenging dark emotional lighthearted sad 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

4.5

A super easy read with the writing being in the form of letters. It follows Charlie's first year in high school after the suicide of one of his friends and how he copes with navigating a new school without his previous group of friends.

The story is emotional. Charlie has experienced a lot of trauma in his life but doesn't believe he has, and has desensitised himself to it by saying "other people have it worse". This eventually leads him into crisis after remembering a specific traumatic event. 

This is a story of friendship, first love, heartbreak and self-discovery. It is also one of trauma and mental health issues, and deals with some heavy themes at times.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Suicide, Drug use, and Death

Moderate: Bullying, Homophobia, Car accident, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, and Rape

Minor: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Child abuse, and Sexual content