Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

How to Make Friends with the Dark by Kathleen Glasgow

15 reviews

crystal689's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Car accident, Abandonment, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Suicide, Bullying, and Eating disorder

Minor: Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Vomit, Physical abuse, Cancer, Domestic abuse, Abortion, Self harm, and Sexual violence

al_reads1's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This was so a beautiful heartbreaking story!!💔😭 

This book
is for the grievers
this book 
is for the left behind 
this book is for every broken heart
searching for a home!💖 
       Kathleen Glasgow

Now that you are loved, and that will always be someone for you!!!!❤️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Death of parent, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, and Death

Moderate: Murder, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Blood, and Violence

calvixx's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent

Moderate: Car accident

Minor: Alcoholism, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide, and Bullying

matcharlyy's review against another edition

dark inspiring 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Vomit, Eating disorder, Grief, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Alcoholism, Violence, Alcohol, Mental illness, Car accident, and Child abuse

Moderate: Gore, Violence, Dementia, Drug abuse, and Blood

anniereads221's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Vomit, Bullying, Death of parent, Death, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cancer, Car accident, Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Sexual assault, Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Minor: Racism

HP reference

proudtobeabookaholic's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad slow-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

4.0

It's always been just Tiger and her mother June. A well-oiled mother and daughter team. Until her mom suddenly dies and leaves Tiger all alone. How does one survive such a thing?

This is primarly a book about grief. Grief expresses itself in different ways, and for Tiger it leads to an ocean of tears, an inability to eat, and a refusal to take off the dress her mother bought her, although Tiger hates it. The author is very skilled at describing how Tiger manages her grief, but that also makes it pretty hard to read. At first I find it a bit repetitive and too much rumination about the same things. But the more I read, the more Tiger comes to life.

Tiger is 16 years old, but often acts like she's at least a couple of years younger. June has been very overprotective and never let her go to parties or camps, or meet boys, and that could well be why Tiger feels younger. The two of them have been an almost isolated unit, and I believe that makes June's death even worse for Tiger. There's no safety net and she ends up in the system with foster care. There she discovers that there are children whose parents have abused them, or simply didn't care about them; the opposite of what Tiger has experienced. Apart from her mom's refusal to tell her about her father, so Tiger doesn't know anything about him, or if he's alive. 

It's no exaggeration that Tiger's world is turned upside down by her mom's death. She becomes a part of a world she's never known, going to and from different foster homes, until they can find a permanent solution. The author shows us both good and bad places, good and bad foster parents - just like it is in the real world. It's an emotional and sometimes tough read, but very beautifully written. I went from thinking the book dragged on somewhat, to not wanting it to end!

"All your life, you've loved words and language, even if you aren't great at school. You've loved weird words and smart words and beautiful words and awkward words, all of them. Podunk. Mastermind. Effluvium. Macrosomatic. Hullabaloo. 

But there isn't a single word in the universe that you can think of that would describe the way you feel right now."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Addiction, Abandonment, Bullying, Death of parent, Vomit, and Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism, Car accident, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Domestic abuse, Suicide, Abortion, and Toxic relationship

josiebug's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful informative 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

3.5

I liked it way more than girl in pieces, not sure why it’s less popular 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Death, Cancer, Alcohol, Mental illness, Death of parent, Addiction, Stalking, Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Injury/Injury detail, Drug use, Child abuse, Alcoholism, and Self harm

Moderate: Infidelity, Abortion, and Bullying

ellasara'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? No

5.0

waaaaaaaaaa niin hyvä ja niin surullinen, en jotenkin aatellut että tykkäisin tästä näin paljon ??? ajattelin tätä koko ajan ja en halunnut tehdä mitään muuta kuin lukea tätä. suunnilleen aina kun luin tätä mä kuuntelin lamp genso albumia ja se oli jotenkin täydellistä, ne kappaleet onnistui osumaan juuri oikeanlaisiin kohtiin kirjassa. 
 mutta niin oli kivuliasta lukee tätä mun sydän särkyi koko ajan

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief and Violence

Moderate: Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, Drug use, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

sivujensankari's review

emotional sad medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Mental illness, and Grief

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Medical content, Suicidal thoughts, and Car accident

Minor: Drug use, Violence, Pregnancy, Blood, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Self harm, and Child abuse

michaela999's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, Grief, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Violence, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Car accident, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Toxic relationship