Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Deeper the Water the Uglier the Fish by Katya Apekina

7 reviews

abril_chavez's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense

• 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? N/A

5.0

I was engrossed in this book from the second I picked it up. The way the story is written through different character's points of view allows not only for a unique plot development, but it's also so strategically done that it forces the reader to look at a situation or other characters in multiple lights that don't shy away from the rawness of their being. It gives the reader just enough guidance while providing space for personal interpretation. Bottom line, this book is fascinating and sad.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Death, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Slavery, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Body horror, Incest, and Racism

owlribbon's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Pregnancy, Forced institutionalization, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Incest, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Stalking, and Vomit

batcaves's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Vomit, Abandonment, Death, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Self harm, Grief, Incest, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic relationship

triple_m's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This was such a beautifully dark and disturbing book. Reading this book was like watching a car crash in slow motion. Painful, you can see what horrible thing is about to happen, and yet you can’t look away. Watching the two sisters deteriorate and deal with their mother’s (and their own) mental illness in such different ways was heartbreaking.

Lots of POVs but I think it would’ve been a little more concise if we just got the two sister’s POV.

Would’ve been a five-star if not for Amanda. She was annoying, but that’s fine since we wasn’t meant to be a likable character. Really, I just don’t know what point she served in the book. She was so fucking weird and unhinged and I guess she was there only to prove how famous their date was, since he got his very own psycho fan? And I don’t know why he let her around?

Speaking of the dad, it’s interesting to read a story about a creative genius who honestly sucks the souls out of loved ones to feel creative. Who knows how the mom would have fared if she never met him. Was she always struggling with mental health, or did it developed from being groomed and being in such an intense and toxic relationship?

The ending

It’s insinuated that their mom MIGHT be the person knocking on the door at the baby shower, but I’m 90% sure it’s not. I think the mom has accepted that her children’s lives are better without her in it and has found peace with that. We know from the scene in the mental hospital that deep down their mom does love them and wants what is best for them, she’s just so mentally ill she cannot provide that herself.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Mental illness

Moderate: Incest, Adult/minor relationship, and Toxic relationship

steviaplath's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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: Abandonment, Gaslighting, Grief, Incest, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Self harm, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Stalking, Addiction, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Medical content, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, and Infidelity

jadeitebttrdish's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

The Deeper the Water, the Uglier the Fish feels like an incredibly well-written and captivating car crash - it encourages a twisted sense of "can't look away." The rotating first-person perspective is an exceptional way to approach the complicated and fractured family dynamics among mother Marianne, distant father Dennis, and sisters Edith and Mae. Everyone has their own perspective on the situation, and every character is sympathetic in their own way. The different ways Edith and Mae grapple with the hospitalization of their mother and their new relationship with their father sharply divide them. I did find this to be a novel where its threads are laid bare; I felt as though I could watch the author weave elements of the story together in writing as opposed to being surprised by those threads later. Personally, though, I appreciated this - it is a wonderful novel to learn from as a writer. I found the ending slightly disappointing, but I feel this is likely more of a personal taste or preference dislike than a skill-of-the-writer one. Overall I found this book absolutely captivating and elegant at handling its difficult subject matter.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Mental illness

Moderate: Medical content, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy

Minor: Abortion and Terminal illness

mirsandia's review

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Stalking, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, and Mental illness