Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

197 reviews

capriqueen's review

mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

The story was really trippy the whole time, had me questioning what was real or not. The past timeline story was more interesting to me than the present, I didn’t really care for the bridegroom’s story. I kind of had a hunch about the plot twist at the end, still good tho

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, and Gaslighting

ghostmemoir's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

xreadingwithdemi's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

kri_29's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Blood, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Misogyny, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Murder, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Domestic abuse, Cannibalism, and Death of parent

klsreads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

Wow, does Roshani Chokshi know how to write a beautiful sentence. You can really feel the world she crafted, which is no small feat as she jumps between whimsical and brutal realities. I love a coming of age story. I love a dark fairy tale. I love a personified house. I love a weird marriage with secrets. 

As always, check the TW's. There's nothing overly graphic, but plenty of unsettling, nasty things.

1 star docked because while this was stunningly beautiful and filled with fairy tale lore from around the world, the plot was quite slow and sometimes got lost in all the metaphors and similes. Because of that, I think it dragged and it took me a while to get through (though I am silly, silly busy right now). I'm a bit torn saying this, though, because I adored the character development in the backstory and am unsure if this could've been done at a faster pace. I wasn't as interested in the present-day story in the book, though the twists and turns hit some emotional slam-dunks. 

I will absolutely be reading more from Chokshi. Her writing is gorgeous! Highly rec if you like dark fairy tale, slow-burn, coming of age stories. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Dementia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicide, and Grief

seforaflorian's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Gore, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

jessicahuss's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad 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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child abuse

praaliine's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? No

5.0

this was so beautifully written and it really crept up on me. it really gets into the weirdness of teenage girlhood and it would have still been so good if that’s all the story explored, but then it goes further to explore marriage, relationships that border obsession, and this dangerous thing that is the want to be loved and desired. 

you’d think that this premise wouldn’t mesh well with a gothic yet whimsical tone, and in the style of a bizarre fever dream. but oh, how it does! it really lured me in with the premise and the lush, atmospheric prose and the story itself had me locked in till the end.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Dementia, and Grief

nina_rae_131's review

dark tense slow-paced

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

3.75

I thought this was a bit slow. I enjoyed Azure’s POV more than the Bridegroom’s. I didn’t see the plot twist coming. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

Moderate: Suicide attempt

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, and Death of parent

enchanteddroppings's review

mysterious slow-paced

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

2.5

This is not Fantasy. The fact that the Fae were mentioned is probably why it is listed as Fantasy, but it has nothing in it related to the genre of Fantasy. 

This is Gothic Magical Realism Coming-of-Age Psychological Thriller. I might even throw in Paranormal, but I feel like calling it Gothic Magical Realism overlaps with the genre. 

This book is not for me. I’m done with Litfic type coming-of-age stories or toxic friendships. The book felt so slow and wrapped in mystery only to have a big twist at the end. The twist wasn’t the problem. It was the journey to get there. There was no plot; just dripping and crumbs of clues to lead to the twist at the end. It was basically like reading a person’s diary. If I wasn’t listening to an audiobook, I would have DNF the book in the first 1/3 of the book. 

Another thing about this book is that if you think in logical terms, then the genre “Magical Realism” can be removed and this is just a Gothic Coming-of-Age Psychological Thriller. What comes off as magic can be replaced with psychological disorders or personality disorders. If you want to live in a magical world and believe in magic, then this is a Gothic Magical Realism Coming-of-Age Thriller. The book spends most of its time walking on the line between the two sets, the same way certain people in the book walk the line between the two worlds or mental states. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Cursing