Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Atlas Paradox, by Olivie Blake

14 reviews

kimtazo's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Sexual content

lokes's review

adventurous dark mysterious slow-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? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Gore, Sexism, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Misogyny, Addiction, Alcohol, Blood, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Injury/injury detail, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Violence

aliyachaudhry's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense 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

4.0

 

Spoiler

this was my multiverse of madness

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Toxic friendship, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/injury detail, Stalking, Blood, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Mass/school shootings, Sexual content, Blood, and Terminal illness

Minor: Colonisation, Cancer, Death of parent, and Classism

jbabbm's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

Great writing from Olivie as always! I just feel that I had to read up to more than half of the book so that it got interesting for me😕 Can't wait for the third one, though

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Mental illness, Violence, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Death, Blood, Sexual content, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Death of parent, Cancer, Grief, and Terminal illness

jupitermond's review

dark tense medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Classism

Minor: Murder and Death

louisegraveyard's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, Murder, Abandonment, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Violence, Death, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

boglord's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Addiction

Moderate: Confinement, Mental illness, Murder, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Suicidal thoughts, Classism, Misogyny, and Sexism

Minor: Child abuse, Abandonment, Fatphobia, Grief, and Blood

clairew97's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Stalking, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Murder, and Sexual content

lilifane's review against another edition

mysterious reflective tense slow-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

3.0

At around 50% of the book, I realized that 1. Nothing was happening, 2. More and more questions were coming up, and 3. No questions were answered at all. So I wondered where the story was actually going and how it would be wrapped up in 200 pages. When a new cool topic was introduced quite late in the second half of the book, I was confused because there clearly wasn't enough time to explore it and actually wrap the story up. At 85% it dawned on me that this probably wasn't a duology as I had expected. -_-

Sigh. I was looking forward to this book because I had enjoyed the first one despite the story being so vague. But at least the characters were interesting and most of them fun to be in the head of. And I was curious about the library and what this whole plot was all about. 
So imagine my disappointment when I didn't get answers at all, but even more questions. Plus, the characters were more annoying than before. Don't get me wrong, the ones I loved, I loved with all my heart. But I didn't care for the rest. In the first book, I at least found them intriguing or hated them. But this time I didn't feel anything for the majority of them. And I missed the fun banter from book one.
Plus, despite spending 2 full books in the heads of these characters, their actions are not very understandable to me. Lashing out for no reason at all, every single one of them. I don't understand the motivations of like 80% of the characters. 
The biggest weakness is the absence of a plot, though. There were several strands of plot that lead nowhere, which was frustrating because why even write it when you drop it and never pick it up again? And that one story line that actually felt like the center of the book... ended very abruptly. I was so intrigued by the paradox, and I was hoping to explore it more. But nope, things just happened off page and then the book was over. Literally. 
Despite the weaknesses I  still enjoyed the reading experience for some weird reason, the audiobook was fun to listen to and there were things that kept me going till the very end. I mean, the last page was definitely worth it for me. I just feel we could have gotten there much, much quicker. 

Yes, I will read the third book. Maybe there was a reason for all the unnecessary stuff in this book after all, who knows. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Alcoholism, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death, Murder, Sexual content, Blood, Mental illness, and Violence

soniajoy98's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Violence, Death, Cursing, Alcoholism, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Stalking, Child abuse, Gun violence, Antisemitism, Classism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Mass/school shootings, Sexual content, Murder, and Racism

Minor: Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Confinement