Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Pallbearers Club by Paul Tremblay

13 reviews

august_18's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship and Mental illness

Moderate: Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death of parent, and Bullying

Minor: Alcoholism, Terminal illness, and Addiction

lancemama's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Chronic illness, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Medical content, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicidal thoughts, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Self harm, Abandonment, Medical trauma, Grief, Bullying, and Terminal illness

adrilynn21's review against another edition

funny mysterious sad slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Toxic friendship, Death, Chronic illness, Grief, and Stalking

ivorymusic82's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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

5.0

Great book if you love unreliable narrators and a rich inner dialogue. Very odd, complex, and sad

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death of parent, and Death

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Toxic friendship, and Body horror

Minor: Medical content, Medical trauma, and Stalking

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

mysterious reflective tense slow-paced

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

1.0

i am incredibly disappointed to say that i absolutely hated this. i thought the characters were unbearably miserable, the plot was lack luster, the dialogue was unrealistic and cringey, and the ending was disappointing. i did not expect to dislike this even close to as much as i did. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Eating disorder, Medical content, Mental illness, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Death of parent, Alcoholism, Drug use, Drug abuse, Grief, and Medical trauma

daffodilcherry's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

I liked the concept of this book (a memoir where another person is editing/editorialising the events described via notation) more than I liked the actual plot/book itself. That being said, the book was able to ensnare me and keep my dutiful attention while I read it. The two main characters were complex, and purposefully unlikeable. I liked the more supernatural aspects of the story in the second half, but wish that they were a little more exciting. As far as horror moments, the book was more of a kind of drawn-out suspense than 'scary'. 
Wheelhouse items: unreliable narrator, conflicting narrators, meta narrative devices, toxic? friendships, 'is this supernatural or not?', punk music scene, psychological horror.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, and Death

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Bullying, Medical content, and Gaslighting

avidreaderandgeekgirl's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

A boring mind f*ck. Is that a thing? Well, if not it is now! You've got 2 unreliable narrators, the male one is a dull teen boy then a generic white guy with scoliosis (which by the way they don't usually do surgery on until you're done growing) with an alcohol and drug problem, who then blames himself for everything bad that happens. 

I usually like books with odd formats but this one just didn't work. Mercy/Mary's commentary was the only part that kept me reading. But you still don't know what's real and what's not in the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Grief, Addiction, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Death of parent and Terminal illness

Minor: Body shaming and Bullying

leanne_miron's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Grief, Toxic friendship, Chronic illness, Medical content, Terminal illness, and Death

Moderate: Gore, Bullying, and Death of parent

Minor: Alcohol, Cannibalism, and Drug use

gia0203's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

I’m still struggling to decipher what is and isn’t real. I wasn’t sure about this one at first, but by the end I was invested. mercy’s voice really added to the book. not my favourite by tremblay but definitely a treat. heartwarming at times. 

my personal theory is that mercy wrote the last chapter to please art and give them closure.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Addiction, and Toxic friendship

ashlynhu's review against another edition

mysterious slow-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? No

3.25

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Content Warnings

Minor: Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Drug use, and Drug abuse