Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

In My Dreams I Hold a Knife by Ashley Winstead

83 reviews

mari_is_here's review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Violence, Toxic relationship, Murder, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Gore

Moderate: Infidelity, Suicide attempt, Panic attacks/disorders, and Drug use

chloe_green090's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-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

2.25

These characters are all toxic, to the point where it doesn’t even seem realistic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Toxic relationship, Suicide, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Drug use, Drug abuse, and Alcoholism

Minor: Eating disorder, Rape, and Injury/Injury detail

itzbrianna's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

In My Dreams I Hold A Knife is a tense and fast pace story of betrayal, murder, and revenge. Jessica Miller, the protagonist, is probably the most unlikeable main character I’ve ever had the experience of reading. Still, her awful personality did not take away from the story. In fact, it enhanced it. 

This book touches on classism, perfectionism, and misogyny intertwining it all into a deceitful narrative that will have you wondering who is telling the truth. Who killed Heather Shelby and why? 

If you enjoy fast paced mysteries with dual timelines you’ll enjoy this book. The dual timelines were my favorite part. The now vs the past and how it all interconnected by the end left me with a great appreciation for the editing and structure it took to make this novel. Ashley Winstead has found a fan in me. I’m excited to read her other works. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Classism, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Murder, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Blood

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Suicide attempt, Homophobia, and Stalking

duckydarlingg's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Homophobia, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Death, Infidelity, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Classism, and Misogyny

dayanitha's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity and Murder

Moderate: Violence, Toxic relationship, and Addiction

Minor: Suicide attempt, Stalking, Homophobia, Suicide, and Sexual assault

tessvosper's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Murder, Rape, Biphobia, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Drug use, Suicide, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Death, Bullying, Eating disorder, Grief, Abandonment, Body shaming, Classism, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent

dakotaw59's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Self harm, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Drug abuse, Blood, Murder, Stalking, Sexual assault, and Death of parent

vaguely_pink's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Classism, Death, and Murder

Moderate: Drug use, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Blood, Violence, Cursing, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Addiction

Minor: Alcohol, Fatphobia, Medical content, Body shaming, Homophobia, Outing, Bullying, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Death of parent, and Stalking

zoelapulgita's review

dark 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

2.75

Points for keeping me a bit captivated towards the second half of the book however, I wasn't to happy with the pacing.

Not a fan of the back & forth of timelines and then towards last couple of chapters, the changing of how the narration was done felt like a weird decision. I would've preferred multiple narrators instead... like, if you're going to do it towards the end of the book, might as well do it from the very beginning? It would've worked better for storytelling purposes.

I understand that the main character isn't meant to be likable but no one was likeable. So many characters and I couldn't choose one to root for.

I can though appreciate that the ending wasn't predictable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Mental illness

Minor: Rape, Suicide attempt, and Homophobia

starrfishandcoffee's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship and Murder

Moderate: Toxic relationship

Minor: Sexual assault