Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

29 reviews

jenna_justi2004's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-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

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This book made me get back into reading. Slay Mary Shelley 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship

singalana's review against another edition

4.5

challenging mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I must confess I didn't have a clear understanding of the story as I've never watched any films or read the story before. Therefore, it took me by surprise. 

Frankenstein was originally published in 1818. Unless I'm mistaken, it's one of the first science fiction stories ever written. Of course it's also a gothic horror novel, and possibly the best known work of its author. 

Frankenstein tells the story of a young scientist, Victor Frankenstein, who creates a monstrous being and brings it to life. After this, his life becomes a nightmare. 

Frankenstein and his creation contrast each other on a thought-provoking way, and I found my sympathies to be with the monster. For a modern reader, the story lagged a bit in places but I decided not to deduct any stars because of it. The book is full of interesting themes and symbolism, no wonder this is a classic. 

This edition: I liked the colourful audiobook cover and I found the narrator (Jonathan Keeble) to fit the work very well.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Body shaming, Child death, Death, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol

evgeorge's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Confinement, Death, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Injury/Injury detail

felofhe's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Classism

carodunn's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Medical content, Grief, Murder, Abandonment

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail

laestaci's review against another edition

3.5

dark reflective sad slow-paced

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Abandonment

nahimgood's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death, Medical content

Minor: Death of parent

jomarie's review against another edition

2.5

dark mysterious sad slow-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

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This was a book that I’ve had for quite a while and was interested in reading as a lover of sci-fi stories. Having read it, I’m not sure I gained any more respect for it. 

Caveat: I don’t have a great track record of liking classics, so definitely take my opinion with a grain of salt! 

I only knew the bare bones of the story through pop culture references. I was expecting a gothic, atmospheric story of man’s hubris. The actual story didn’t quite hit that mark. Mostly, I was bored. The monster featured so little, most of the characters were flat, and framing it as a story being told to a man on a mission to the North Pole felt unnecessary. The most interesting part was what the monster did after running away from Victor, but that was told as a dry conversation rather than actually spending time in that space. It frankly made Felix out to be a more enticing character than anyone else in the book. 

Luckily, I read through the info in the front of my copy that explained some of the historical context that Mary Shelley wrote it under. If I hadn’t, I’d feel even more disconnected from the point of it all than I already am. If you’re only looking at it as an example of historic literature, it’s a fascinating study. However, that’s not what I was doing. 

Knowing the kind of reader I am, I should have done the audiobook to better comprehend and connect with the story, or just picked my favorite movie adaption and called it good. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Gaslighting

Moderate: Child death, Medical content, Death of parent, Abandonment

Minor: Animal death, Racism

lovelymisanthrope's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I picked this up as a fun, classic read for Halloween this year.
"Frankenstein" is the classic story written by Mary Shelley. In an effort to find immortality, Dr. Victor Frankenstein spends his adolescence seeking education in the sciences. Once he reaches adulthood, he attempts his own experiments to bring something to life. When he succeeds, he is horrified by the abomination he created, and he runs away from it. Feeling abandoned and slighted by its creator, the monster seeks revenge, and causes havoc to Frankenstein's life.
This book really epitomizes the idea that monsters are created, not born. The monster in this novel did not want to kill or cause harm, and it initially attempted to help the people it encountered. Only after the people realized what he looked like, did they become scared of the monster and run away. At its core, the monster had a good heart, but the world turned its back on it.
Even after Frankenstein saw the destruction the monster caused, he did not do enough to appease the monster. The monster wanted a woman companion and asked Frankenstein to create one for it. This only further highlights that the monster was just lonely. Sometimes it only takes one person to show kindness and change a person's entire perspective on life.
This was a very approachable classic, and fairly easy to read. I also think the themes and lessons it presents are elements that today's world needs a refresher on.
I highly recommend this novel, especially this time of year! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship

Moderate: Murder

laurenkgrace's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Stalking, Murder, Abandonment

Moderate: Child death, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Classism