Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Gerald's Game by Stephen King

14 reviews

k8lynn's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense slow-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

3.0

hella content warnings.
also includes necrophilia (not an option on content warnings)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

lethargicbat's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-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

0.75

The more I think about this book the more my feelings shift from just disappointed to outright anger. The handling of the CSA in graphic detail yet barely a glimpse of attention to the death of the abusive men. The fact that a book centered on Jessie and her trauma and the feminist themes that were encoded in the premise alone of breaking free from her handcuffs that shackle her life by two differently awful yet still similar men, was handled poorly. The voices of these people in her life that make up her and their banter wasn't a slog when it could have been providing insight for this character. The way the ending shifts to be reassuring about the police and that the big baddie wasn't her father that molested her nor her husband that was going to commit martial rape but instead was a random ‘figure of death’ that actually turns out to be a gay, necrophiliac pedophile that likes to wear lingerie and has schizophrenia. 

There was so much potential for an empowering and horrifying story but King, like always, fails miserably to the point that the only potential his stories have is the general plot premise. His work remains best as living in the a bargin bin and reading the plot on a back before being tossed back and privately mused on while alone. Otherwise his writing sucks the potential out of these premises to make you so utterly exhausted that you don't even care enough to reimagine the better story you were hoping for.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Death, Gore, and Grief

Minor: Animal death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Transphobia, Vomit, Antisemitism, Cannibalism, and Death of parent

reading__redhead'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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

pizzaisjesus98's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense slow-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

3.5

A bit weird and gratuitously written in certain parts, but still decent. I like the Netflix movie a lil better tbh

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Medical content, Grief, Cannibalism, and Murder

Minor: Toxic relationship, Vomit, Car accident, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

oprah_wimpy's review against another edition

challenging tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I love Stephen King. But the subject matter of this one was hard to stomach even as an avid reader of his works. PLEASE check the trigger warnings before attempting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Cannibalism, and Injury/Injury detail

ciah320's review

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence

veronikar's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

r_o_s_e's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Confinement, Incest, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Blood, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Grief

Minor: Cursing, Excrement, Vomit, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, and Alcohol

czoltak's review against another edition

dark 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

1.0

I definitely would’ve DNF’ed if I wasn’t it reading for a readathon. I can see why people like this, but it is absolutely not for me and the exact opposite of what I’m looking for.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Gore, Incest, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

cowboyaj's review

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Rape, and Sexual content

Moderate: Misogyny, Pedophilia, and Toxic relationship