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Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
16 reviews
smartcookiesca's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Biphobia, Cancer, Child death, Homophobia, Terminal illness, and Violence
anni_banani's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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
5.0
may I say YES AKWEAKE EMEZI! and thank you!
i have re read this book once so far and would re read countless times.
this was my intro to Emezi's books- which I don't recommend. I heard Emezi say in an interview that they write Transgressive stories. That is totally the case in this book!
rarely do I say this but not only a flawless execution but goes beyond my expectations. the story goes up and down, leaving you with time to see a rich interoir emotional landscape of the MC but also all of a sudden leaving you on your seat with your butt clenched wondering what will happened next!! I cry, I get turned on, I scream, I have a book to hold space for the grief and loss and love in my own life.
This is a top ten book of all time for me, no doubt. also Bahni Turpin reads the audiobook which is an instant "play" for me.
read this book for
messy bisexuals
best friendship
every character being believable complicated, real and getting development
Black and Islander stories
life love and hope after life altering loss and grief
amazing sexual tension
questioning your our ethics
healing
amazing food
love for the Caribbean
i have re read this book once so far and would re read countless times.
this was my intro to Emezi's books- which I don't recommend. I heard Emezi say in an interview that they write Transgressive stories. That is totally the case in this book!
rarely do I say this but not only a flawless execution but goes beyond my expectations. the story goes up and down, leaving you with time to see a rich interoir emotional landscape of the MC but also all of a sudden leaving you on your seat with your butt clenched wondering what will happened next!! I cry, I get turned on, I scream, I have a book to hold space for the grief and loss and love in my own life.
This is a top ten book of all time for me, no doubt. also Bahni Turpin reads the audiobook which is an instant "play" for me.
read this book for
messy bisexuals
best friendship
every character being believable complicated, real and getting development
Black and Islander stories
life love and hope after life altering loss and grief
amazing sexual tension
questioning your our ethics
healing
amazing food
love for the Caribbean
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Car accident, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Death of parent
bt_wannabe's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
I’m such a fan of Emezi’s work, and this book was no exception. I loved being on Feyi’s journey of finding not only love, but herself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Death and Toxic friendship
Minor: Homophobia and Car accident
lynxpardinus's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, and Car accident
Moderate: Child death, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death of parent, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
Minor: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Self harm
caitlinemccann's review
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
tense
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Cursing, Death, Sexual content, Blood, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexism and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Biphobia
thecriticalreader's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
4.5
You Made a Fool of Death with Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi is a romance novel, which is not something I knew when I started reading it. It follows the same beats as a romance novel, albeit with a somewhat outlandish premise. There were so many opportunities for this book not to work for me, which is why I was surprised when so much of it did. The characters are well-written, and the story lets the characters drive the romance rather than the other way around. I adored the indulgent, luscious descriptions of the landscapes, food (seriously mouth-watering), people, and art. I found the romantic relationship to be easy to root for, as the two central characters are flawed yet likable, mature, and interesting.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Grief
Moderate: Toxic friendship and Alcohol
ecn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
3.75
I think that I just need to come to the conclusion that I don’t really like romance stories. The writing was great bc it’s Emezi but the story just felt a bit to unrealistic and FAST. But also, nothing really happened throughout the book (and not in a slow burn kind of way for me)? I feel like I didn’t really get to dive into the grief of the characters and know anything else about them. And yea it was definitely a messy story but i did not find it to be as fun as others said BUT! I did like it more than I thought. And, not to to end on a petty note, but the pet names throughout just made me cringe :/ it was a bit too much from the get go and only got worse when it was the ONLY way the MC was referred to
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Grief, Car accident, and Death of parent
Moderate: Biphobia, Cursing, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Violence and Blood
booksalacarte's review
challenging
emotional
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
3.75
Feyi Adekola wants to learn how to be alive again.
It’s been five years since the accident that killed the love of her life and she’s almost a new person now—an artist with her own studio, and sharing a brownstone apartment with her ride-or-die best friend, Joy, who insists it’s time for Feyi to ease back into the dating scene. Feyi isn’t ready for anything serious, but a steamy encounter at a rooftop party cascades into a whirlwind summer she could have never imagined: a luxury trip to a tropical island, decadent meals in the glamorous home of a celebrity chef, and a major curator who wants to launch her art career.
This new life she asked for just got a lot more complicated, and Feyi must begin her search for real answers. Who is she ready to become? Can she release her past and honor her grief while still embracing her future? And, of course, there’s the biggest question of all—how far is she willing to go for a second chance at love?
——————
✨My Opinion✨
I would say that this is a book more about grief and climbing your way back to life, rather than a romance. This aspect of the writing was really well done.
Personal preference for me was that I didn’t enjoy the winding way to the MMC. I feel like we didn’t get as much time to get to know him and connect with him better. But I also realize that this book wasn’t about him.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Toxic friendship
Minor: Biphobia, Child death, Blood, Car accident, and Alcohol
eve81's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Death, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Car accident, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Child death
savvylit's review
emotional
hopeful
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
4.5
A literary romance with lots of heart, messy characters, and a slow build to spicy encounters? You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty is the best romance book I've ever read. This is my fourth Emezi book and clear proof that they can write in any genre and excel at it. Feyi, Joy, and Alim are all perfectly imperfect. Feyi and Joy's friendship in particular is one of the best parts of the novel. Though the story focuses on Feyi's romantic life, I couldn't help but stop and admire the deep love that she has for Joy and their friendship. Joy is her anchor, her biggest cheerleader, and the one most likely to roast her for her bad decisions. Their relationship feels incredibly true to life. Also true to life is the spectrum of male partners that Feyi encounters. From chill to deeply devoted to infuriating incel, this book perfectly captures the highs and lows of the straight dating scene.
Finally, it's difficult to talk about the love story in You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty while trying to stay spoiler-free. I will say, though, that the romance in this book is so well done. Emezi builds the central relationship in a way that feels genuine and self-aware on a character level. The two parties involved constantly consider and respect the emotional territory of dating while grappling grief. I loved how things unfolded at a pace that was simultaneously safe and sexy.
I'd recommend this book to folks who love Emezi's writing, who aren't usually big into romance novels, and who love messy characters of all ages.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Grief, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Homophobia