Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat

11 reviews

okayletsread's review

challenging reflective medium-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

Essentially, this was a book about self-sabotage in the form of love addiction through the lens of a queer Palestinian American woman. I liked the flashbacks to the main character's childhood and its connection with her current behaviors, but it focused too much on a long string of love interests and unhealthy, toxic relationships that contributed to her addiction. And the style felt rushed and reminiscent of stream-of-consciousness journal entries from our teenage years. There's not enough in the book that worked for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Islamophobia, Addiction, Eating disorder, and Toxic friendship

l1ndz7's review

3.0

I’ve discovered that I don’t enjoy toxic relationships or unlikable main characters too much. Especially in the same book, yikes. I loved the LGBTQIA+ rep and the generational trauma from the occupation of Palestine (briefly and somewhat messily) discussed. It does end on a happy note which made me enjoy it more because this isn’t a happy book. She’s either cheating or getting cheated on. She’s a sex/love addict which was interesting to read about but she gets caught up in these silly situations that were relatable but at the same time frustrating to watch. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship

throwback682's review against another edition

emotional slow-paced

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

3.75

A bisexual Palestinian American codependent woman acts out her relationship with her abusive mother against various romantic partners. 

This book seemed to drag and then ended pretty abruptly. I didn’t really care about the protagonist; she wasn’t very sympathetic. But maybe she’s too much like me, I don’t know. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, and Stalking

Moderate: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, War, and Genocide

Emotional and physical abuse within families, cheating

errie's review against another edition

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Addiction, Sexual content, Alcohol, Drug use, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Islamophobia, Pedophilia, Self harm, and Biphobia

flamesocks's review

challenging emotional reflective sad 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Cursing, Eating disorder, Addiction, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Islamophobia, and Lesbophobia

abitbetterbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Sexual content, Biphobia, and Colonisation

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Islamophobia, Mental illness, Racism, Violence, and Self harm

lady_valhella's review

emotional sad fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Drug abuse, Bullying, Drug use, and Homophobia

Minor: War, Body shaming, and Child abuse

rhi_'s review against another edition

challenging reflective slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, and Infidelity

Moderate: Eating disorder, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Mental illness

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Drug abuse

thepermageek's review

emotional 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

3.0

Had this book been a novella I probably would have given it 5 stars but after about 125-150 pages I often found myself asking "why am I still reading this?" 

In other words, it was really well-plotted with lots of great character development for the first half of it and then it just meandered along till the end of it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Addiction, and Eating disorder

etty_m's review

emotional 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Addiction

Moderate: Eating disorder and Homophobia