Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

10 reviews

egganimates's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, Child death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Homophobia, Infertility, Mental illness, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Excrement, Vomit, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, and War

ems_bean's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Xenophobia, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror

Minor: Homophobia and Vomit

jenna_justi2004's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-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

4.0

This was the hardest book to read. It’s up there with 1984 and brave new world. Generally of worlds, I hope don’t become reality. I understand the message and it doesn’t make it any better. It’s actually so sad and essentially avoidable which is horrific. If you enjoy dystopian this is for you but this book genuinely made me sick at some points. Graphic accounts of CP and trafficking. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

joshgroven's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

some uncomfortable stuff happening in here but pretty interesting overall

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Pandemic/Epidemic

gottalovecheguevara's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I honestly enjoyed it a lot. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, and Death

Moderate: Drug abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

mievdk's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective medium-paced

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

4.25

The first time I started reading Oryx and Crake, I stopped before finishing the first chapter it was a bit too strange. Later I gave it another go, because of my love for Atwood's style, themes and characters. I am so glad I gave it another try. 

The way the plot is structured is, in my opinion, perfect. The novel maintains a well-considered balance  between giving enough information to inspire questions and keep you intrigued, but not too much to lose suspense. 

Once I settled into the story I found it incredibly compelling. The plot is fascinating, especially during these times of rapid technological progress. I would say the novel is 50-50 plot and character driven.

Alhough the protagonist is odd and unreliable, I did empathize with him and found him funny. While definitely unorthodox, at the same time he felt really real and remained complex.  

In sum, Oryx and Crake is another example of exquisite writing by Atwood.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Gun violence and Suicidal thoughts

greenglass67's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book is easily one of my favorites. It’s such a unique story. Snowman’s journey and his reflections upon his life as Jimmy are deeply human. He exhibits so much passion for some things and so much apathy for others. The range of his experiences and emotions is wild, but it all works together cohesively. The world Margaret Atwood creates is a very chilling commentary on technology and science, and she pushes us to question how far advanced we can get without it being too far. The ending is remarkable. There are little hints and clues laced throughout the entire book that you don’t realize until the ending ties them all together, all the pieces fit into place, and it all suddenly makes sense. It answers all the questions you have, and leaves you asking several questions more. I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Murder, Colonisation, and Classism

cait's review against another edition

challenging mysterious sad slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

hannahbailey's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Unsure how to feel on this one. Atwood is such a good writer that I was pulled into the narrative and the world she'd built despite my immediate dislike for the protagonist. There are some interesting themes with a lot of 'what ifs' but my god, this was so bleak and depressing. Glad I made it to the end to see a bit of hope but it was quite the trudge and not at all what I was expecting!

Very reminiscent of 1984 and A Clockwork Orange in terms of its violence, intensity and reflections on the darker side of humanity. Fans of these novels (I was not a fan of either one) will almost definitely enjoy Oryx and Crake.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

lauragarabedian's review against another edition

slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail