Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enríquez

28 reviews

izzyknight's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

I have never read a book like this. Horrific, haunting and addictive. I usually don’t love short story collections but that did not put me off with this, I enjoyed the snapshots of disturbed worlds the structure allowed. I thought some stories were stronger than others but each had such a twisted core, I was relentlessly engaged. Some parts were so disgusting, so disturbing I had to put the book down but that was clearly the intention of the author. A very well writing collection and one that will haunt me for a while.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cannibalism, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Vomit

Minor: Transphobia

miayukino's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Gore, Body horror, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Grief, Rape, Chronic illness, and Body shaming

Minor: Fatphobia and Transphobia

abigailc0x's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.25

Scary and graphic at times but scary in a good way - didn’t expect what was going to happen
also them describing children in that one bit made me extremely uncomfortable but like it was good to read and very interesting

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Suicide attempt, Vomit, Cannibalism, Child death, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Drug abuse, Fatphobia, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Addiction, Drug use, Gore, Self harm, and Suicide

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Trafficking, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Fatphobia

erin2802's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Blood, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Self harm, Gore, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Excrement, Sexual content, Cursing, Death, Sexual violence, Cannibalism, Fire/Fire injury, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Abortion, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Vomit, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Addiction

tigerlily800's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

This was my first time reading a short story collection and I honestly liked it more than I thought I would. It felt like urban legends passed around a high school, "did you hear of the kids who came back? Or Our Lady of the Quarry?" There were a few I wasn't a fan of, I felt they were too brash and coarse but that was the point of those stories so I won't fault them for that. I usually listen to audiobooks and rarely buy physical copies anymore but this is one that I have to own so I can reread my favorites and make annotations. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Body horror, Cannibalism, Medical content, Blood, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, Child abuse, Child death, Pedophilia, Self harm, Sexual content, and Transphobia

hanytea's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Transphobia, Violence, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Cannibalism, Fatphobia, Child abuse, Child death, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, and Body shaming

mmaguire's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Cannibalism, Murder, and Toxic friendship

nicnevin's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Short stories with a sinister edge, Enriquez writes of a vivid, dark modern world. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Abortion, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cannibalism, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit