Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Husband Material by Alexis Hall

14 reviews

booksthatburn's review

emotional funny reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

HUSBAND MATERIAL, the sequel to BOYFRIEND MATERIAL, shows Oliver and Luc two years onwards, surrounded by friends who are tying the knot. They start to feel like they should get married too, but it's hard to figure out a ceremony which will represent both of them. Oliver doesn't feel connected to what Luc thinks of as "queer culture" and Oliver perceives as encroaching Americanisms. Luc's dad is as disappointing as always, his mom is very strange but supportive, and Oliver's parents are frustrating and controlling. Things are getting tense and they don't know how they'll hold it together under all this pressure. Bridget and Tom are getting married, and Luc's shitbag ex-boyfriend has invited him to his wedding, for some reason. Those are just the first of several weddings around them, all between very different people with vastly different goals for their lives. It makes it hard for Luc and Oliver to figure out what they want for themselves, especially for an event which at times feels like it's for everyone else. 

I especially like how this deals with grief, and the complex emotions of losing someone who has been a major force in one's life, especially when they've mostly been a negative influence. Someone can be terrible and important, and that's often hard to deal with. The shape of their absence can leave an enormous wound, even if their presence was slow suffering. 

HUSBAND MATERIAL could kind of make sense for someone who hadn't read BOYFRIEND MATERIAL, but the emotional roller coaster of the first book means that a lot of processing and establishing of various relationship dynamics took place in BOYFRIEND MATERIAL, with the characters moving forward here after a time jump and a new status quo to be disrupted by all these weddings. 

I like the ending, it fits Oliver and Luc as individuals and as a couple. They are figuring out their relationship, not anyone else's, but it takes a while for them to understand what they actually want from the socially proscribed steps and ceremonies on the relationship escalator. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism

Moderate: Infidelity, Homophobia, Grief, Abandonment, Death of parent, Cursing, and Death

Minor: Toxic relationship, Fatphobia, Transphobia, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Body horror, and Excrement

its_vendetta's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful tense

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

3.0

liked the first one better but this was still cute! LOVED the ending 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Homophobia

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Emotional abuse

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders and Eating disorder

caelfind's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, and Sexual content

babyleo's review

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Death of parent, and Sexual content

Minor: Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, and Homophobia

headinthepages's review

emotional funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Grief, Vomit, Alcohol, Death of parent, Abandonment, Homophobia, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia

Minor: Suicide

lim's review against another edition

tense slow-paced

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

0.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Pro traditional marriage message, homophobes win

merah's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Grief, Vomit, Cursing, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Alcohol, Biphobia, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Homophobia, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

Minor: Dysphoria, Cancer, Eating disorder, Terminal illness, and Infidelity

Never feeling worthy / good enough (very graphic!) Difficult family dynamics. Feelings of child abandonment.

eamily's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted reflective 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Grief, and Cursing

Minor: Alcohol, Cancer, Classism, Colonisation, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Eating disorder, and Body shaming

ladythana's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Child abuse

Minor: Eating disorder

sarahna's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Death of parent, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Body shaming, Classism, Eating disorder, Cancer, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Vomit