Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Het verhaal van de Dienstmaagd by Margaret Atwood

40 reviews

q17's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Hate crime, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Slavery, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Ableism, Child abuse, Death, Mental illness, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Medical content, Grief, Abortion, Acephobia/Arophobia, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Classism

rachaelmele's review against another edition

reflective medium-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

Minor: Confinement, Infertility, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Murder

mxdegroot's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

As it has been almost two years since I've read this book and only am reviewing it now, while doing the same with other books I have read but not yet revieuwed, I can't say I remember much, but this is what I do remember.

I read this book for school and at school, which means we went pretty deep into it. This caused quite some interesting findings. For example, the names of the maids. They all start with 'of' and are followed by the name of their owner (ex.: Ofwarren, Offred), which makes it very clear that they are property and might be a way of dehumanizing them.

Now on to the actual review.

While I don't necessarily dislike literary books, I do find it very hard to get through them, so as a genre, this was not my favorite. However, this book and the genre in general are still fun to read!
What I like about this book a lot is the mystery and the dystopian setting. I love books with some angst and mystery and I am a big sucker for dystopia.

I marked the pacing as medium, because there is quite some action written pretty closely after each other time-wise, but during and between that action there is enough description of the situation and the place the books take place in, which adds to the experience and gives the reader insight in the world-building of the book.

My advice: read the book! If you're a literature lover, this is just a great piece of it, and if you're someone who doesn't enjoy reading literature too much, but wants to dip their toe into it and/or is required to read a number of literary books for school, this is definitely a recommendation, as it is not too slow paced and quite recent.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Gore, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Pregnancy

Minor: Body horror, Infertility, and Grief

g_monaghan's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Revolution
Misogyny 
Christian fundamentalist 
Harrowing

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, and War

charm0nix's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Trafficking, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Slavery, Suicide, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Kidnapping

creepypiespice's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Cursing, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Kidnapping, Abortion, Lesbophobia, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Antisemitism, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

ava20064's review against another edition

inspiring tense slow-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? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Torture, Toxic relationship, and Abortion

danajoy's review against another edition

dark reflective tense

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infertility, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Torture and Abortion

macsenbesemer's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense slow-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Police brutality, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Infertility, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, and Abortion

annavonwillingh's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Toxic relationship