Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Near the Bone by Christina Henry

30 reviews

nrogers_1030's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Gore, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Death, Religious bigotry, Violence, Grief, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Animal death, Body horror, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Miscarriage and Confinement

Minor: Infertility, Pedophilia, Torture, Cursing, and Rape

Rapes are not detailed.

heavensdark's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Sexism

Moderate: Murder and Kidnapping

katyannreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Gore, and Toxic relationship

jessab's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.5

A bit of a slow start but I quite liked the second half. Slow burn mystery with some criptid creature intrigue 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Child abuse and Rape

Minor: Gaslighting

whitneyonline's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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? No

3.0

Is it really my first book of 2023 when I read 80% of it during the last week of 2022? Eh, I'll go with it.

It is a reach for this to be branded as a horror book. A thriller? Yes! But how is something a creature feature when the creature is hardly...featured? You could cut out all the parts with the monster in it and still have a coherent thriller. And I think there was a huge missed opportunity to go into the lore of the creature, making it the horror that it desperately wanted to be 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Sexual assault

sphinxofblackquartz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Animal death, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Body horror, Child abuse, Kidnapping, and Misogyny

Moderate: Pedophilia, Miscarriage, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Rape, and Sexual assault

Minor: Drug use and Confinement

szyca's review against another edition

adventurous dark medium-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? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Kidnapping, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse

jordanem1995's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Animal death, Death of parent, and Gore

stephanieluxton's review against another edition

dark tense 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

3.75

The atmosphere in this book is fantastic. There's a couple frightening scenes in the beginning and I wish that tone was maintained more throughout the second half of the book. The ending was fine but I think it could have been better. Overall, I did really enjoy the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, and Confinement

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, and Animal death

Minor: Rape, Murder, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Infertility, and Drug use

mapscitiesandsongs's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? No

2.0

All in all this reading experience was disappointing, especially because BooksandLala recommended the book in one of her videos. The most annoying part of this book were the characters. They felt so unrealistic and one-dimensional. William is your typical abusive and religious lunatic that wants his wive all to himself and beats her up for disrespecting him/not being a good wife. I honestly didn‘t buy it. There was not depth to his character. He is just an archetype. Kiran Millwood Hargrave did a much better job at depicting an abusive and religious husband in The Mercies.  On a different note, what were those reactions and dialogs in the most terrifying moments?

A monster throws a human heart through the window? You know what, let's make grilled cheese. Your best friend gets strung up on a tree by his organs? I suddenly feel hungry and want some eggs. Like what?

  No human would react like that. Also what was the point of the whole scene with Mattie and C.P. in the cabin?

There is a creature and a kidnapper out there and they are having these chill conversations without paying attention to the very obvious threat outside. And what was William doing outside all the time? Were did he go? Why didn't the creature hunt him too when he was already injured and that creature supposedly only attacks weak/injured humans? It doesn't make any sense.

The ending was just the cherry on top. It was so rushed and we don't even find out what exactly the monster is. During some parts I felt like the monster was just some metaphor for William which would have made the story that much more interesting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, and Confinement

Minor: Infertility, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, and Vomit