Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson

43 reviews

bookswithlauren's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Like the first book in the series, this was also an incredible book. I did find it to be a little less together than 'A Good Girls Guide to Murder' but I still absolutely loved the book. The characters and the plot line were well planned and executed. I watch and read a lot of crime based shows, movies and books and often find myself working out the ending way before I reach it but with this, there were so many options and twists that I found myself guessing over and over again as the plot developed.

Again, the audiobook only added to my reading experience with this book as it is a full cast audiobook but it also has phone calls as actual phone calls, when Pip is reading from her case notes, you can hear the movement of paper, when she records conversations, you can hear the equipment whirring and beeping etc. The audiobook was a fully immersive experience and it was brilliant. I also really enjoyed hearing elements of the podcast created by Pip in this book, it was a clever continuation from the first book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Blood, Child death, Gaslighting, Cursing, Kidnapping, Medical content, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Rape, Stalking, Torture, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual harassment

sydneyluxford's review

emotional hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

This was a really good book. It hooked me from start to finish and it kept me on my toes. The plot twist truly got me, but then again, I’m not great at guessing plot twists.

The development of Pip and Ravi’s relationship 🥹🥹🥹. So cute.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Death, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, Drug use, Rape, and Sexual assault

Minor: Toxic relationship

lindsayerin's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Sexual assault, Gun violence, and Murder

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Drug use, and Blood

Minor: Toxic relationship

cara_nm's review

adventurous dark funny mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and Death

Moderate: Drug use, Grief, Rape, and Child death

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, and Car accident

cerilouisereads's review

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Death, and Blood

Moderate: Rape, Confinement, Child abuse, Drug use, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, and Outing

inaliterarymood's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Murder, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, and Bullying

willow_o_whisper's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

This book is as much of a roller coaster of a mystery as the first, if no more so. Holly Jackson swiftly rose to become one of my top 5 favorite authors.

Pips journey through learning about herself is relatable, tense, yet staggeringly inspiring. She sticks to her guns and goals, no matter what. I empathize when she hurts and I celebrate her victories.

No spoilers in this review! You need to read it for yourself! Just know that nothing is as it seems… and the end will make you want to do nothing but turn the page to find out what’s next!

The way Holly does not dwell heavily on her characters past trauma or describing certain intense/dangerous situations happening in Pips present is a tricky balance that she succeeds so well in.

5/5 plot, character development, and pacing *chefs kiss* 100/100 would recommend

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Stalking, and Bullying

Minor: Child abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Rape, Body shaming, Sexual harassment, and Medical trauma

teesreads's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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? No

5.0

This book was so much better than the first one, and I loved the first one, so that's saying a lot. This one had me on the edge of my seat because it was an active investigation instead of one that had already been "solved," and I never saw the end coming.

I was so shook when it was revealed that Layla knew who Pip was. I thought something horrible was going to happen to her, and I cried when Stanley did, even though I didn't like him in the first book.<spioler>  Ant and Lauren are both pos's.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Toxic relationship, Death, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Rape and Terminal illness

ccassidy98's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Blood, Death, and Gun violence

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Car accident, Addiction, Rape, and Murder

safety_pin's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny informative mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Blood, Abandonment, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, and Hate crime

Moderate: Police brutality, Cancer, Drug use, Misogyny, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal death and Adult/minor relationship