Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

18 reviews

hretzkin's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

4.0

Overall I really enjoyed this book. The characters were interesting and the concept of the plot was good. It was a little slow at parts and some of it was a bit repetitive. I liked some of the twists although she leads you to the climax of the plot a little early. A good read.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pregnancy, Addiction, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, and Death

moond4ncer's review

hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective relaxing 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Abortion, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Pandemic/Epidemic, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Mental illness

pam_'s review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

Extremely boring. I didn’t care about any of the characters or the plot. I probably should have DNFed because this was not for me. Meryl Streep narrating the audiobook was this book’s saving grace in my opinion. Without her, there is no way that I would have been able to finish this.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Infidelity, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal death, Death, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Misogyny

crystalleighwrites's review against another edition

funny hopeful inspiring reflective

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

4.75

Now I understand what everyone was raving about. This is such a beautifully written book, such a lovely story, and being read by Meryl Effing Streep doesn’t hurt. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, and Death

alyssapusateri's review against another edition

reflective relaxing medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Alcoholism, Death, Toxic relationship, Addiction, and Alcohol

Minor: Suicide, Abortion, Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Medical content, Cancer, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, and Infidelity

emilywemily6's review

reflective relaxing slow-paced

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

5.0

I adored this book. It was such a lovely treat to listen to, I could just dwell in the audiobook for as long as it would go on. It was a slow and calming read with a lot of nostalgia and romance (in the sense that life was romanticized, past and present, because of the good that came out of it in the end). It made me want to have more children and revel in their individuality and dreams and share with them my own past and dreams. It made me want to get involved with community theatre again. It made me want to move to Michigan and work on a cherry tree farm. There are definitely hardships/traumas mentioned, but not explicitly, since Lara is telling the story after years have gone by and she has a broader perspective. She also dictates how her story is told to her grown children and keeps a couple secrets to herself, though the reader gets let in on those secrets covertly. There isn’t really a climax or big reveal, though a few small twists and turns as you follow the story. I felt like Lara’s fourth daughter listening in on this story being told and I’m in a bit of a book hangover now that that world is over for me. It felt so realistic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Death, Bullying, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Addiction, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Drug use, Vomit, Sexism, Medical content, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Sexual content

Minor: Abortion and Classism

moack_5's review against another edition

hopeful 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? No

4.0

An interesting walk through the life of a young woman. Involving fame, career, family, and sickness. A retelling of a story of fame to a sweet family. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion and Alcoholism

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Cursing, Drug use, Pandemic/Epidemic, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Racism

maceydowns's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

4.25

feeling a bit like this book taught me the same lesson as everything everywhere all at once — but maybe that’s just the lesson I’m seeking right now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Addiction, and Medical content

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Cancer, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Rape

Minor: Animal death, Child death, Grief, Infidelity, and Racism

katietregs's review

emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

2.0

Quite sentimental. Not a lot of twists and turns. The writing is good, but most of the characters feel quite flat. Very pro farm. My main takeaway is that this woman loves farm. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Alcoholism, Addiction, Vomit, and Death

Moderate: Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, and Racism

Minor: Abortion and Animal death

cibani's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Death, Infidelity, Pandemic/Epidemic, Alcoholism, and Cancer