Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena

5 reviews

fharyya09's review

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

She just killed her former friend but I also think its not her fault because maybe she just did that because of her illness but I'm glad that Cora is back with them safe and sound.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Vomit, Murder, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Violence

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I thought this was a good read. I predicted a bit of the plot, but not the whole thing, and I was interested in how everything was going to unfold. But boy howdy, men ruin everything. I'll be paying attention to more books from Ms. Lapena.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Grief

Moderate: Bullying, Murder, Classism, Infidelity, and Death

Minor: Child death, Sexual content, and Alcohol

nabaraditi's review

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

1.5

  The premise was good that the parents are irresponsible and dumb to leave their 6 months baby alone to go to a party next door. And that's it. That's all good and interesting there is in the book.
Everything else is the opposite of good.
The characters are flat. I also didn't like the writing. There are twists in the book but they don't keep you on the edge of a seat like a thriller is supposed to.
There were plotlines in the book that didn't make sense in the story like   

"the wife has postpartum depression and could hurt the baby and she's drunk enough to not remember" this makes sooooo much sense, so why add the "death of her father has caused her stress and trauma and she's diagnosed with dissociative disorder"????? like why?????????

Also, 

  the father-in-law having an affair with the lost child couple's neighbor???

  I felt like that was just added to put everything together and fit it all in but it didn't make any sense to me.
And who is the title referring to? Who's the couple? The main couple who lost the baby? or their neighor-couple 

who secretly film the wife having sex with other men and the husband watches it later and enjoys it??

 
There were too many internal monologues where the husband, the wife and the detective keeps going over the story and his inferences over and over and OVER AGAIN!! like i get it!!! i don't need to read what they think must have happened soooo many times!!
Nevertheless, it was hard to put down. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping and Mental illness

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Death of parent, and Murder

Minor: Blood and Infidelity

birkenstonk's review

inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic friendship

hello_lovely13's review

fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexual content