Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt

45 reviews

theprinceofdenmark's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

the best book about grief and loss since catcher in the rye.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Animal cruelty, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Emotional abuse, Violence, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Stalking

readwithsophsx's review

dark mysterious reflective 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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Alcoholism, Blood, Bullying, Car accident, Cursing, Death of parent, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death, Drug use, Grief, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, and Alcohol

woweewhoa's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

While this book is very well written and a compelling character study, I unfortunately don't think I liked reading this book very much. It's a long and miserable read about Theodore Decker, our protagonist, ruining his life and getting his life ruined by others. It's a tragedy from the get go, and while its not all his fault, it's still hard to read at times. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Drug use, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicide attempt, Gun violence, Racial slurs, and Homophobia

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

elenab's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Drug use, Drug abuse, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Homophobia, Addiction, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Suicide attempt

Minor: Death and Toxic friendship

dizzzybrook's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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

4.0

This book was such a chore to get through. I generally favor long books and have no issues with a slow burn, but something about The Goldfinch just failed to ever emotionally draw me in. The story was much more enjoyable for me than that of The Secret History but I'm still just not sold that Tartt's books are for me. I really loved the first 1/4th of the book but after that, I lost motivation and eventually had to switch over to the audiobook to get through the rest. I don't think this is a bad book by any means but it was a relief once it was over, and I'm not sure that's a compliment. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Violence, Abandonment, Medical content, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Drug use, Blood, Death of parent, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, and Vomit

maddie_1999's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective slow-paced

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

0.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Gore, Abandonment, Addiction, Suicide attempt, Alcohol, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Vomit, Body horror, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Drug use, and Self harm

Moderate: Homophobia, Islamophobia, Racism, Bullying, Animal cruelty, Antisemitism, Misogyny, Sexism, Xenophobia, Eating disorder, Racial slurs, Stalking, Violence, and Fatphobia

haileyeh's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

1.75

Theo is the most unlikeable protagonist I have ever read about.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Alcoholism, Death, Alcohol, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Addiction, and Death of parent

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Child abuse

Minor: Car accident and Vomit

fkshg8465's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative inspiring sad tense slow-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

4.5

Definitely a fatiguing book but the kind of book you’d want to teach or take a class on. So much going on in here! People I rooted for despite myself, the goldfinch as an emblem, the psychological triggers for the choices made compulsively, the life of the painting and the parallels to the soul of the protagonist, ask the people we meet by chance and what that really means, etc. Long book worth every minute and every page.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Torture, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Addiction, Bullying, Confinement, Violence, Death, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Chronic illness, Xenophobia, Car accident, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

vaguely_pink's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

3.0

I think this one just wasn’t for me. Tartt is undeniably an incredibly gifted writer. Her characters leap off the page. The Goldfinch reads like a memoir and I often found myself wondering how it’s possible that someone could pull such real characters out of their head. The audiobook narrator is also masterful in his performance of each one. But part of why I continued to ask myself this was because their lives, and consequently this book, are just so oppressively bleak. Like, I’m a proud Sad Girl™, but this felt like too much sometimes. 

There were also numerous times where I felt like we were gearing up for an ending only to check the audiobook and realize that somehow I still had 13 hours left. As I got to the end, I started to have my usual audiobook thoughts of “maybe I’d like this more if I read with my eyes,” especially with the discussions about the importance of art to the human experience. But I’m not sure I would’ve had the endurance for this book in print. And when it does finally end, it feels very

Boris

ex machina and entirely too quick and easy. I don’t know, man. Maybe all the new adult fantasy I’ve been reading lately is finally rotting my brain. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Addiction, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Grief, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Physical abuse, Xenophobia, Infidelity, Classism, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal cruelty, Deportation, Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Homophobia, Murder, Sexism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Medical content, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Vomit, and Sexual violence

Terrorism, bombing, organized crime

jelliestars's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Grief, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Addiction, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Cursing, Animal cruelty, Pedophilia, Xenophobia, Physical abuse, Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Infidelity, Murder, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Racism, Toxic friendship, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Mental illness

Minor: Animal death, Classism, Deportation, Torture, Ableism, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Car accident, Cultural appropriation, Islamophobia, Antisemitism, Body shaming, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Sexual content, and Transphobia