Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

20 reviews

moriahleigh's review

dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Abortion, and Violence

Moderate: Cancer, Suicide attempt, Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent, and Racism

ashareads's review

adventurous reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Rape, Hate crime, Misogyny, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Racism, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Police brutality, Confinement, Infidelity, and Forced institutionalization

marena02's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Rape, Misogyny, Racism, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Violence, Abortion, Blood, Death of parent, and Toxic relationship

ramreadsagain's review against another edition

challenging emotional medium-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

5.0

This gripped me right from the beginning and I haven’t had a book cause such strong emotions in me for a while. 

The writing is phenomenal, the characters have depth, and the plot just never lets up. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Death, and Abortion

Minor: Sexual content, Cancer, and Terminal illness

crazytourists_books's review against another edition

fast-paced

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

1.0

This is a perfect example of an over-hyped book that didn't deserve have of the enthusiasm around it. The idea was interesting; if the author had focused on that and not the "romantic" side, it would have been great. A black man, wrongfully convicted and imprisoned for rape, spends five years in prison. Do we read about that? A few pages. Five years covered in a few pages. But HIS dream of having kids? Of having HIS wife? GIS home? Of controlling everything because HE is the man? Of how everyone owes HIM because they haven't been through what HE has been through? Of having sex without protection because HE doesn't want a piece of rubber between him and HIS "cure"? Of unbelievable sexism (by every single character in this book)? Pages upon pages upon pages. 
I liked the narration trick, the three different points of view, but nothing was deep. It could and should have been over after a hundred pages, there was just nothing there. Flat characters, no story. And I am so disappointed and frustrated because the story could have been so much more. 
Ii makes me wonder... did Obama really read this and thought that this book portrayes the effects of a wrongful conviction on a young African-American couple? Seriously? 
I have no idea why I read all of it, when I knew from the first few pages that it would frustrate, disappoint, and bore me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Cancer, Death of parent, Sexism, Racism, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Police brutality

Minor: Rape, Abortion, Confinement, and Toxic relationship

bestienicoley's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Racism, and Infidelity

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Death of parent and Suicide

pkprouvs's review

• Loveable characters? No

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Racism

keiaria's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

3.25

had to read for my african american literature course; probs not something i would have picked up on my own. this book was both sad and frustrating, and i didn't like the characters very much... maybe i'll reread this someday (though i don't like enjoy reading about Black pain).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Hate crime, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Police brutality, and Confinement

Minor: Death of parent

ae_young's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense slow-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? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Death, Death of parent, Cursing, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Racism

Moderate: Cancer

erint251's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Rape, Infidelity, Abortion, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, and Forced institutionalization