Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa

26 reviews

prickly_plant's review

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

2.75

A very melancholy read that explores the meaning of memory and grief. I wanted to add that this book contains content that might be difficult to read if you struggle with dissociation. 

The writing style and the characters kept me reading (as well as the main character’s novel). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Grief, Police brutality, and Death

Minor: Animal death

avie_1's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Grief, Police brutality, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Death, Gaslighting, and Deportation

Minor: Death of parent

stllyltc's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-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? Yes

3.5

It is so odd and strange; there were those warm moments, but it felt like something in you was depriving you with the way disappearances had occurred. It's as if they were living in a twisted social experiment setting. The things you could control were no longer there because the feeling was no longer there and the memory of how it worked was no longer there. It's distorting to think of a world like this one. Nevertheless, it was interesting to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Grief, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, and Death of parent

wayfarer_reads's review

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, and Confinement

Minor: Sexual violence

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Police brutality, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Blood, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Infidelity

Minor: Rape and Animal death

clarabooksit's review against another edition

dark 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? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Confinement, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Infidelity, Grief, and Police brutality

Minor: Sexual assault

baileyt2424's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Body horror, Grief, and Police brutality

serendipity421's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Emotional abuse, Body horror, Dementia, Grief, and Trafficking

Moderate: Death of parent and Sexual assault

malachinelson's review

mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

Damn. This was a read. It captured me. I was hoping for and terrified by the possibility of it ending. 267 pages later I closed the book.  I'll be thinking about this one, and revisiting it, often.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Body horror, Slavery, and Sexual assault

Minor: Death, Forced institutionalization, and Grief

junheechuu's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Violence