Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

A Cosmology of Monsters by Shaun Hamill

5 reviews

aparker89's review

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Toxic relationship, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Chronic illness, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Bullying, Cancer, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Gore, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Pedophilia, Lesbophobia, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, and Mental illness

teaandtales1's review against another edition

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness

gfrankensteinem's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

I really liked this book and the writing. However, DEFINITELY check out the content warnings section. There's a lot to be cautious of.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Homophobia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, and Lesbophobia

roadesntoades's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

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

4.25

A strange conglomeration of horror, fairytale, and depressing reality this book really takes you across all genres it seems and leaves you at the end asking, where is the rest. Something that the author does on purpose. Throughout the book you are teased as to who or what the antagonist is, why it is Noah, why his family is involved to reach a somewhat titled ended.

While I think the ending of him taking the place of his family and becoming apart of the City is twist that seems obvious yet shocking is is what he ends his narrative with that sticks even more.“Oh God. It hurts.” And that’s it. Nothing more. Nothing less. We are even told my him he wanted to end the story where it ends, not where it is happy. Something I think is refreshing in horror, with authors usually be afraid to let their drama end not in bright hopeful joy but reality that this is going to hurt.

. My only real critique is that it seems to use sex as a shock and awe tactic to up some of the horror or confusion as to end.

There is pedophilia, grooming, statutory rape, homophobia, religious trauma, dubious consent; among other triggers that just don’t get a build up to or a warning or notion it was going to happen. <spoiled>. All in all I enjoyed it, except the surprise

monster fucking

like I coulda used a basic ass warning for that

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Toxic relationship, Violence, Torture, Suicide, Sexual content, Self harm, Adult/minor relationship, and Grief

Moderate: Abortion, Blood, Cancer, Chronic illness, Death, Death of parent, Terminal illness, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and Infidelity

Minor: Ableism, Abandonment, Lesbophobia, and Incest

hauntedtesty's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-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

0.5

Can't recommend. This is possibly the first book that triggered my eczema from rage, which is somewhat impressive. 
Avoid if you have CSA triggers, because the monster grooming a child to the point of a romantic relationship at the age of 16 onwards (shout out to the monster turning into a hot red head for this) was something I read warily, waiting for the endpoint. And then the endpoint is the character remaining in that relationship, with tacit approval from the author? Between this and another young girl being blamed for being in a relationship with her teacher (acting like she's stroppy and unreasonable etc), I saw a theme I hated.

As this was a lovecraftian inspired tale (taken from an interview), I could see the glimmer of a novel where the tragedy and horror is that characters are trapped by terrible decisions, with monsters siphoning the fear and a more clearer 'oh god, its literally groomed a child for sex'.
I will say that the haunted house aspect of the room shifts was good? As it is, avoid. avoid. avoid. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Toxic relationship