Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

A Spell of Good Things by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀

16 reviews

suzieel's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Suicide, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, and Violence

sarahwiltshire's review against another edition

challenging 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

A powerful book that builds to an ending that is both shocking and a telling it as it can be. Very well written.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence

junglejelly's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This is a beautifully written book with such interesting characters.

While I did mostly enjoy the book, I did find the middle too slow in pace, and the parents' perspectives too jarring. The slow pace and different perspectives affected the flow of the book.

The ending is so haunting and left me

devestated with the family deaths and the unhopeful feeling it leaves you with

.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Gun violence

Moderate: Child death, Gaslighting, Medical content, Suicide, Classism, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Vomit

Minor: Car accident, Fire/Fire injury, and Bullying

oz2021's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-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? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide

rei_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Murder, Child death, Death, and Suicide

Minor: Suicide

bg_oseman_fan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

This story reminded me a lot of Mistry’s A Fine Balance. I admired her ability to weave the characters stories and reveal so much through showing rather than telling. The tragedies felt earned but not inevitable and every word of the story felt like it described the situation perfectly. it was difficult to read at times because of the subjects, but all were handled very well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Classism, Domestic abuse, Violence, Medical content, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Murder, Vomit, Child death, Death of parent, and Grief

Minor: Child abuse, Suicide, Blood, Bullying, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexual content, and Cursing

indou's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, and Sexual violence

alicebodnar's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Slow start, really picks up about 150 pages in. Well worth the read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Classism

jamesyouwere's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Kidnapping, and Suicide

crazytourists_books's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-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

3.5

A heartbreaking story, beautifully written. It could have been shorter, as it drags painfully at some points, bit it made my heart beat hard towards the end, and that's a kind of redemption. 
I have so many questions about what I just read... Is it an account of contemporary Nigeria? Do things like those described in the book happen in real life today? Or is it something that happened in the past? I was horrified and deeply saddened by what I read, about how it is to live in Nigeria, and I sure hope that the author exaggerated about things that don't happen anymore. Adébáyó also leaves something unanswered for us to answer as we please and a part of me likes that (not everything needs to be resolved) but another part is afraid that it's not answered because the resolution given wouldn't be one that I would like. 
(3.5 stars, because it was far too long)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Domestic abuse, and Gaslighting