Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

132 reviews

briiforte's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective sad slow-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

4.25

The writing begins slow and informative, but that’s the whole point. Piranesi is an unreliably naive narrator who strives to see the best The House has to offer. He’s notoriously too kind for his own good, but—once the plot

becomes apparent that The Other is not a protagonist

, the remainder of the story is gripping and magical.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, and Mental illness

Minor: Emotional abuse, Confinement, Death, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, Trafficking, Cursing, Gun violence, Slavery, and Vomit

scribblesandsuch's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective fast-paced

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

This was a really cool book, I deeply enjoyed it and loved the style of the writing. Piranesi is a wonderful character and I frankly could have read chapters and chapters about his life before the story, of him just moving about his day. I'm incredibly fond of him.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic friendship

Minor: Slavery

pbeeandj's review against another edition

mysterious reflective slow-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

5.0

I'm not the same person I was in highschool, or college, or my 20s. I'm not the same person I was when I was in a bad relationship. But acknowledging my prior ignorance while I was living as those past myselves does not make what I experienced any less meaningful. Our protagonist may have been ignorant of the existence of House as one version of himself, and then ignorant of the abusive relationship he was in as another, but he doesn't scorn the parts of himself that made those decisions, that did the best with what they knew at a time. He accepts his past selves as a part of who he is now, personalities and mindsets he can never return to, but that have led to him becoming someone totally new. A little bit of both, but more than the sum of his past parts.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Kidnapping and Toxic friendship

anivino's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

i read a lot of reviews on piranesi prior to reading it, and they were the reason i delayed reading it for such a long time. i wasn't particularly thrilled about the minotaurus myth retelling. as time went by, i started forgetting all the reviews, and when it came across my suggestions for reading, i just went for it. and it was absolutely worth it. i enjoyed the immersive world that the author created, and enjoyed spending time with piranesi in the house. i usually don't like themes of mental health in literature as it may be triggering, but it was ok for this book, and i really liked how the author incorporated it in the story and dealt with the inner conflict of the main character. now, i'm waiting to for enough time to pass to return to this world once again.  

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

eauderat's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious relaxing tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders and Toxic friendship

jasminrain's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-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

5.0

Absolutely brilliant piece of dark academia exploring the depths that people are willing to go to in the search for knowledge. I don't think it's a book for everyone - it is slow and there needs to be a certain appreciation for learning and knowledge to take interest in the book and its characters. But it is a truly astonishing piece of literature bringing together mystery, magical realism, ancient world and academia. I cannot say I've ever read anything quite like it before. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Death, Kidnapping, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Gun violence

spineofthesaurus's review against another edition

challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Death, Animal death, Torture, Confinement, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Slavery, and Ableism

athryn's review

emotional mysterious 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

This was really a fascinating book. I had no clue what was going on for a long while, but once things were really clear, I found it to be really moving and ... hard to articulate. But it touched me deeply, and I had tears in my eyes at times. Just a really good read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting

Moderate: Abandonment, Toxic friendship, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, and Slavery

Minor: Drug use and Gun violence

nefariousbee's review against another edition

inspiring mysterious relaxing 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

4.75

i wish we'd get more in certain parts of the story. more backstory maybe, more time in the other world. but apart from that, this story was right up my alley

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, and Confinement

Moderate: Blood and Murder

literaryscouser's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.75

This book is a little wild. The magical realism and religious undertones make for a wonderful combination. Honestly, I feel like if I go into too much detail I might spoil something, as there is a part of me still unsure about what I read- in the best way possible. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Death, Violence, and Cursing

Minor: Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cursing, and Vomit