Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

22 reviews

desiisreading's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Blood, and Gaslighting

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Fire/Fire injury

abigailrosalynn's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

atalea's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Gore, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Minor: Grief and Abortion

judyegallagher's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.25

Ms. Flynn is just such a specific but descriptive writer. It's a rough, bloody story, but it does keep you guessing until the end, and the format of slowly revealing the past story in real time makes you want to keep pushing through the story. It may have felt a bit on the slow side, but I didn't mind it. It is really interesting to think about who "owns" your story once something so big happens that it can't stay in just your life anymore.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child death, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Mental illness, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexual content, Grief, and Suicide attempt

luciedelomez's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? N/A

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Cancer, Child death, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

ria_mar's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Gore, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

uniquelymace's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense 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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

systemofanoun's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

Another Gillian Flynn novel about a seemingly unlikable woman with a hardened exterior, questionable morals, and something to say about everything. Out of her big three, this would have to place second for me.

The characters in this novel really stood out compared to her other works, they felt very true to life and more fleshed out. They reflect people you’ve known and come across in your life. Most if not all being deeply flawed, some exhibited a good deal of character development,others….none whatsoever. It’s frustrating but ultimately real.

As for the murders, it wasn’t totally predictable but it wasn't what I would consider a mystery.

At many points, I felt as if I was being spoonfed the answers and it made it less exciting when they were just that, answers, not revaluations. Even the “big twist” wasn’t one at all in my opinion, I think subtlety is where Gillian Flynn falls short a lot of the time, she writes with so much self-awareness and then drops the ball.

All that being said it was still a fun read! If you’re familiar with Gillian Flynn’s pacing then expect nothing different from this book,iykyk. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Drug use, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Pregnancy

cluelessdino's review

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Death of parent, Murder, and Toxic friendship