Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

228 reviews

holliesatchell's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad fast-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

2.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Self harm, Cursing, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Medical content, Infertility, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts

vertibravia's review against another edition

dark hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Chronic illness, Medical trauma, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, and Infidelity

Moderate: Sexual assault, Alcoholism, and Infertility

tinalalatina's review

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad tense 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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Body shaming, Child abuse, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Infertility, and Mental illness

mummy2adog's review

medium-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

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Infertility, Infidelity, and Panic attacks/disorders

pati89's review against another edition

emotional reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Abortion

mikayla_h's review against another edition

dark reflective medium-paced

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

2.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Self harm

Moderate: Infidelity

jamiejanae_6's review against another edition

emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Classism, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual content, Chronic illness, Grief, Infidelity, and Toxic friendship

kbone's review against another edition

dark emotional funny sad tense fast-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

3.5

Sally Rooney has a knack for writing complicated characters & books you can’t put down. It was simultaneously funny and deeply sad for me to read. The main character mirrored some of my least favorite traits about myself & there were also mentions of self-harm that I found a bit dark & triggering. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Chronic illness

Moderate: Self harm, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Chronic illness, and Alcoholism

ank3's review

emotional funny reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Classism, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Chronic illness, Grief, Self harm, Body shaming, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Gore, Pregnancy, and Medical content

Minor: Infertility

zoegupta's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

4.0

i feel very conflicted about this book. on one hand, very beautifully written, very psychologically whole and complex characters, lots of nuance, and she succeeded in making me understand if not fully root for every character. it pulled me in and kept me itching to finish right through the end.  

on the other hand, i feel it fell into some unfortunate tropes. frances in particular feels like a bella swan / waif / manic pixie dream girl / not like other girls girl… where a lot of concerning attributes (self harm, eating disorder, selfishness, inability to communicate) seem to be romanticized. and i doubt she would be able to get away with nearly as much or be considered mysterious or cool if she weren’t a thin white woman…! if she were written by a man i’d especially hate it, but written by a woman makes it even stranger - she feels like a self insert for rooney? many plot points and attributes seem to be identical to marianne from normal people and to rooney’s own life… 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Self harm

Moderate: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Blood, Chronic illness, Infertility, and Alcoholism

Minor: Suicide attempt