Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington

23 reviews

tarfishy's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Violence, Classism, Vomit, and Racism

amberlfaris's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Classism, Racism, Violence, Murder, and Toxic relationship

emmaline09's review

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Murder, Violence, and Classism

Moderate: Racism

mrsmoger's review

challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, Violence, and Racism

Moderate: Bullying, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Sexism

rocksicle's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Bullying, Classism, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, and Death

Minor: Gore, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Toxic friendship

on_my_bookshelf's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Bullying, Gun violence, Classism, Gore, Grief, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug use, Gaslighting, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Racism, Toxic friendship, Violence, Blood, Confinement, Hate crime, and Death

sahramahtab's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

Joelle Wellington's 'Their Vicious Games' is a gripping page-turner that kept me hooked from start to finish. The suspenseful plot, coupled with the uncertainty surrounding the main character's fate, made it an intense read. The narrative's exploration of racism, misogyny, and classism adds depth to the story, creating a brutally beautiful portrayal of societal issues. Despite the challenges, the satisfying sliver of justice in the end provides a poignant closure.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Racism, Classism, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Murder

Moderate: Drug abuse, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Confinement, and Toxic relationship

bella_cavicchi's review

dark mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

This was delightfully twisty, thrilling in both its shock and its dark satire.

And I feel I should note somewhere that I couldn't help but visualise Leighton as Gwyneth Paltrow and I now can't shake that casting (for the inevitable film adaptation) from my head!!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Death, Classism, Bullying, and Blood

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexism, Racism, Medical content, Grief, and Gaslighting

Minor: Infidelity and Vomit

takarakei's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

Ace of Spades/The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor... in hell.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Racism, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Gaslighting, Classism, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Vomit, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Alcohol

honestlyyours77's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This was a great read! It took a bit to get into the story as the beginning was a bit unpolished and repetitive. However, about 1/8th into the book it picked up a bit and swelled to where you didn’t want to put it down.

I love the twists as the story played out and the strength of the protagonist. Giving anything more would give spoilers which I do not care to do. 

While this is YA fiction it is definitely fit for any reader who enjoys suspense.


*a note on diversity. While the book isn’t filled with diverse characters with the exception of the protagonist and a few others, it is intentional. It is a glimpse of the real world impacts on people of color. So while the story is thankfully fictional, the real world
Message and impact is not.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Racism, Sexism, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Violence, Classism, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny