Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Les Optimistes by Rebecca Makkai

22 reviews

cady_sass's review against another edition

challenging 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

5.0

I am absolutely floored that there aren’t more people (at least in my universe) talking about this book. I am in AWE. What a stunningly heartbreaking story. I loved every part of this, even the parts that brought tears to my eyes. It will weigh on your heart, on your soul, and live in your mind. When I wasn’t reading all i wanted to do was pick it back up. Even though it’s an inherently sad story, and you know that no matter what it’s going to be sad at the end, you still kind of hope for the happy ending you know you won’t get. There are what feels like a million characters and somehow I cared about all of them, even the ones I hated. Everyone in world should read this and I hope it gets the attention it deserves.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Terminal illness, Death, Alcohol, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Bullying, Alcoholism, Classism, Homophobia, Blood, Chronic illness, Cursing, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

laurenw's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Grief, Alcohol, Homophobia, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Police brutality, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Death, and Hate crime

Moderate: Cursing, Pregnancy, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Antisemitism

litstyleguide's review against another edition

5.0

This book alternates between the AIDS epidemic in the 1980s and one 30 years in the future. As I started reading this, I was really frustrated with the latter. I wanted more of the former (despite it being V sad); however, the 2010s timeline really depicts how loss and trauma shape you. How it impacts the people around you. And I ended up really loving both timelines.

This felt like a love letter to Chicago, to a generation of people lost, to the LGBTQ+ community, and friendship. I really loved this one, and hope you pick it up.

*I received a gifted copy in exchange for an honest review*

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Medical content, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Death, and Police brutality

Moderate: Drug use

ninjamuse's review against another edition

emotional informative sad slow-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Death, Grief, Terminal illness, and Medical content

Moderate: Violence, Alcohol, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Drug use, Police brutality, Lesbophobia, Hate crime, and Bullying

znvisser's review against another edition

challenging emotional sad 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

4.75

If I shed a tear I know I read a book that I love, and this story had me sobbing through several chapters. Absolutely heartbreaking and beautiful.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Medical content, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Death

Moderate: Drug use, Infidelity, Police brutality, Homophobia, and Pregnancy

scarlett4'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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Medical trauma, Chronic illness, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infidelity, Terminal illness, Death, and Sexual content

Moderate: Drug abuse, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Cursing, Racial slurs, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Drug use, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Sexual harassment, and Toxic relationship

burnyayhayley's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad slow-paced

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

5.0

I was very prepared to give this 4 stars, even 3 stars. The build is very slow, slower than I usually like. There are a lot of secondary characters, which at times became confusing. Some little things that would have been simple to explain were left untied (but this is actually not a big issue for me, just a frustration). 
Maybe this story hits too close to home, having lost someone myself who lived through this era and watched many friends die from AIDS. Perhaps I am also just a sap. But this book made me SOB. 
I was WEEPING. There are not many surprises in this book, just by the nature of the story, but there was a true and tangible depth of pain and power in the way these men are represented, and how they in turn represent an entire generation of lost queer people. It is clear that there was a wealth of respect held for this cast of characters and who they represented. 
Also, sometimes it takes a really beautiful, terribly sad and horribly accurate book to remind you how very important the little things in our lives are. How much we should be trying our hardest to hold onto each other and experiences of joy and all the weird fleeting magic of life. Because even when things are so shitty and we are sad and it feels like as soon as you get up there is something else beating you back down, there will still be something handing you a sliver of hope. And that will lend it all some beauty. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Gaslighting, Homophobia, Medical trauma, Drug abuse, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Chronic illness, Terminal illness, and Infidelity

Minor: Toxic relationship and Suicide

jim_jam's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful informative 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? No

5.0

Really really good but you will cry a lot reading this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Medical content, Terminal illness, Homophobia, Grief, Death, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Police brutality, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity

softersoft3st's review against another edition

emotional informative sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, and Homophobia

libbyhb's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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

I loved this book so much. It's one of those books where there are slight issues here and there, but I loved it enough to give it 5 stars regardless. One funny thing that drew me in immediately was the fact that Yael works in development (which I do, too!) and the main story related to that involved a donor in Wisconsin (where I live!). I would say the main issue for me was that at certain points, the two narrative threads felt a little too separate from each other, but I think that was overcome by the points where they came together really beautifully. I felt so emotionally invested in Yael's story throughout - the work saga, his relationship and friendship issues, and of course the way HIV/AIDS epidemic seeped into his life and affected every part of it. All of the characters were really well-illustrated and unique to me, especially Yael, Fiona, Cecily, Julian, and even Nico. Fiona's story with her daughter was a little less interesting to me (and the daughter felt a little flat), but the parts where she encountered her past (with the surprise guest and the art show) made up for it. Loved this and it's hard to articulate all of the reasons why, but I'm so glad I read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, and Homophobia

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Infidelity