Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

A Nearly Normal Family by M.T. Edvardsson

6 reviews

courtnetto's review against another edition

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

3.5

For me, it just felt like it took too long to actually get into the book. I persevered and read to the ene, although it was quite difficult to push through.  Based in Sweden, we meet the Sandall family - Adam who is a pastor of a local church, Ulrika who is a lawyer and Stella, their teenage daughter, who is the prime suspect in the murder that has taken place. Stella and her bestfriend Amina, meet the victim in a club when he tells the girls a little white lie about his age. From here, both girls strike up relationships with the man, Stella being the first one to have a sexual relationship with the man. Only we begin to meet Linda as the book progresses, at first it's unknown who she is but it's soon revealed that Linda is actually an ex of Christopher (the victim). Linda stalks Stella and tries to make her aware of what Christopher is really like, although she does not believe her. 
The book is written in 3 parts, Adam's story, Stella's story and Ulrika's story which are all based around the time of the murder as we read about how Stella's time in custody as she is accused of being the murderer - but did she do it? Her parents may also play a part in this story as they notice suspicious things around their house.  Although, the more you read Ulrika's story, the more you discover that she wishes for her daughter,  Stella, to be more like Amina. 
I don't think I would read again if given the chance. 

"It's even in the Bible: An eye for an eye  a tooth for a tooth. Before Jesus fucked everything up with that part about turning the other cheek."

"For a psychopath, sex is all about power. In the beginning,  the psychopath places all the focus on their partner during the act of sex. But psychopaths are drawn to excitement and variation. Soon he will want to spice up their sex life, often with activities that seem uncomfortable to the partner. The psychopath slowly pushes the partner's limits and in this way gains power over her. If the partner refuses to give in to his suggestions, he responds by making her feel guilty or threatening to find someone new."

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marionlundqvist's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0


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cassie_heintz's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

I don’t usually read mystery books but, I did enjoy this one. It gave different perspectives of the 3 main characters and how they each were dealing with the situation. Had me trying to figure out what really happened that night but, the plot eventually connected the dots in the end to tell the story of what truly happened. Overall, a decent read and would recommend.

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odrib's review

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

4.0


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victorias21's review against another edition

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

4.0


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jasmina1811's review against another edition

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dark mysterious 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

4.5


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