Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Girls by Emma Cline

55 reviews

kaitidid's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Stalking, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Child death, Cursing, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Murder, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Sexism, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

Minor: Excrement

mickraine's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Gore, Addiction, Sexual harassment, Murder, Violence, Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Sexism, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Stalking, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Bullying, Alcoholism, Classism, Death of parent, and Grief

Minor: War

jenny_d's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Child death, Sexism, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Violence, and Toxic friendship

slymberis's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-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

4.75

This book was a train wreck I could not look away from. Beautiful writing, intriguing plot, insightful characters, and a gruesome dedication to detail that made it impossible for me to put this book down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Toxic friendship, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Gore, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Drug use, and Sexual violence

lindseygcarden's review against another edition

dark sad

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Murder, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Violence, Drug use, Sexual assault, Sexism, Lesbophobia, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Trafficking, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual harassment, Gore, Physical abuse, and Pedophilia

knikchevich's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Child abuse, Blood, Ableism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Murder, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Bullying, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence

on_amys_shelf_'s review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

2.0

 

I FINALLY opened "The Girls" after it languished on my TBR for 5 years, like a vintage record collecting dust in the attic. It promised a '60s Manson-adjacent trip, but instead, my turntable spun a wonky B-side.

Don't get me wrong, I crave that groovy counterculture scene lol! Fiction set in the '60s, whether then or now, is catnip for me. It explores why souls get sucked into vortexes like Charles Manson's, a swirling mix of idealism, rebellion, and maybe a touch of Kool-Aid. But with "The Girls," I never quite worked out why our MC was drawn into the ranch.

Sure, she digs one of the Mansonettes, but their "love story" felt flat and lifeless. And all the Manson-lite intrigue? Mostly told, not shown, like a whisper game gone awry. I kept waiting for sparks to fly, for the cult vibe to sizzle under my skin, but instead, it was all surface tension and manufactured drama.

So, my quest for that elusive 5-star stunner continues. Maybe next time, I'll find a record that makes the needle jump with genuine grooves, not just recycled grooves of a tired story. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship

raisinreads's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

It seems like her writing style is hit or miss w people, I quite enjoyed it. I do agree with other reviewers that the present day plotline added little.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual content, Violence, Child abuse, and Sexual violence

panic_at_the_bookshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

The build up and the basics of the plot were amazing and made you want to reach the ending of the story. However the ending was rather disappointing. I feel like there are still plenty of loose ends. 

Some scenes and characters felt rather empty. Sex was mentioned sooo many times. There are plenty of scenes where a minor is sexually involved with plenty of adults, often twice her age. Not sure if these scenes should have been this explicit.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Pedophilia, Blood, Death, Sexual content, Murder, Addiction, Body horror, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Domestic abuse

literally_mint's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Infidelity, Pedophilia, and Sexual content