Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Hide by Kiersten White

15 reviews

jenc's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense 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

3.75

Pretty good collection of wheelhouse tropes that I can tell you about because they're spoilers. Also really good character explorations, some more meaningful and finished than others.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Suicide

Moderate: Child death, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Grief, Lesbophobia, Religious bigotry, Blood, Misogyny, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Body shaming, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Mass/school shootings, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

words_and_dreams's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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

Hunger Games meets Cabin In the Woods. 

14 contestants are chosen to compete in a hide and seek game in an abandoned theme park. Each one has something to lose and is desperate to win. They soon begin to notice odd things and the players start disappearing. 

Horror, thriller, fantasy.

I like that we got POVs for the different characters so could understand their motivations and emotions without too much info dumping. It was more creepy than scary.

Overall really enjoyed it but the ending felt anti climactic. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Toxic relationship, Blood, Child death, Violence, and Death of parent

Minor: Bullying

nixieba25f's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Mass/school shootings, Grief, Murder, Ableism, Racism, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Violence, War, Excrement, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Gun violence, Suicide, Death, Death of parent, and Homophobia

kimberlyswalters's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-paced

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

1.0

The characters were dull. I liked Ava, but I didn't feel a strong connection to her or any other character. I didn't care about any of them dying because of that. The concept was good, but I felt like it could've been better if it were written from one characters perspective, or even switching it each chapter. The omnipotence of it made things a bit muddled and allowed less time to get to know each character more (which I think is the exact opposite of what the author intended). For instance, the only thing you really know about Mack is her past and how she blames herself for what happened, and that she has the hots for Ava. I just wanted a chance to care about the characters more, but most of them are either unlikeable, exaggerated stereotypes, and/or boring.

I don't think I have the vocabulary to express how much I disliked the ending, so I can only try to sum it up and hope whoever is reading this rambling will understand.

Even if I don't care for the characters, I'd at least like to know what happened to them, the rest of Asterion, and if the families suffered, or if the beast ended up fed and satisfied and where our characters were going afterwards. It left too many questions that mattered unanswered, so it just felt sloppy and like the author also didn't care where they ended up, or if the readers were satisfied. I'm really just ranting here, but I don't like wasting my time on entertainment that just ends up frustrating me and leaving me feeling confused about the author's intent. Hopefully this silly little review will save someone else from reading it if they also aren't a fan of that style of ending.

It was blunt and unnecessary.  It was gifted to me, so I am glad I didn't spend my own money on this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Racism, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Misogyny, and Lesbophobia

Minor: Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Child death, Classism, Cursing, and Toxic relationship

halfbloodprincess_hogwarts's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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

5.0

Time to sprinkle in some spooky season reading💛I ran across this title at Woodman's and was captivated by the rich golden yellow cover. Along with the haunting amusement park. 

Fourteen strangers are invited to play the game hide-and-seek, the winner receiving $50,000. 

This reminded me of the movie Ready or Not, where the bride is sacrificed in their game of hide and seek. 

Except, well, the players do not know whom is doing the seeking. The rules are vague, they sign a contract that doesn't hold the hosts liable for anything that happens to the players. 

The premise of this game taking place at an abandoned amusement park is so cool, with so many places to hide. While the sun is up the players are to remain hidden and can only come out when the sun is setting. 

Hide captivated my attention from the beginning, though the jumping around from character's flashbacks to the current time period... did keep throwing me off.

 Their temporary guide, Linda, even throws in a fun quest of locating a leather bound book and returning it to her for a prize.

 I knew there had to be more to it besides a "reality tv" game of hide-and-seek. 

All of the questions and mystery are eventually answered and makes a lot of sense....a lot of twisted f'ed up sense. 

This is one of the most morbid and on edge hide-and-seek thrillers. I would listen to this audiobook again. 

Listening to many characters perspectives is a plus, getting to know them individually and eventually how they are all tied together.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Child abuse, Death of parent, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Incest, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, Death, Lesbophobia, Medical trauma, Murder, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit