Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox

9 reviews

kalebd_2125's review

funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I read this for a sci-fi and fantasy book club. The concept is intriguing and plot done well enough, but the fantasy elements weren't very strong. It felt more like magical realism than full fantasy. I also figured out the plot twist of

Arthur plotting to steal the books very early on. He was the only outsider that seemed really interested in the library so it felt like a dead giveaway. I also figured out the stable boy would be the lover around the same time

I didn't hate it, but won't be one I'd recommend or spend much time thinking about after the book club meeting. The narrator on the audiobook also spoke very slow, I had to turn it up to x1.5 for it to be tolerable.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Forced institutionalization and War

victoriastarkid's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious fast-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? It's complicated

2.25

Generally just an okay book. It never felt like anything was described enough for me to get attached to anything. It was a fast read, but the plot just felt like 5 different things thrown at the wall. Nothing ever felt complete enough for me to care about what was happening/the lore as to why.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and War

rhi_'s review

dark tense slow-paced

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

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Confinement

Minor: Fire/Fire injury

chelbelle122's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Olympic medal in mansplaining and gaslighting. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

libraryghost's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Confinement, Death, Toxic relationship, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Gaslighting, and War

gracescanlon's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Gaslighting, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Dementia, and Alcohol

pinkfloydian's review against another edition

emotional 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? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

magellen's review against another edition

mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I think this is one of Fox's stronger works in the last few years, much better than Lullaby for Witches in terms of plot and craft, but like....goddamn you don't know what's going on through half the book! The memory lapses and the forgotten relationships flounder a bit as the book progresses because we don't have enough emotional investment or understanding for them to land. I enjoyed Ivy as a protag but all and any hint of romance is 👎

The book also has like 3 different off ramps it ignores in favor of dragging on - if you think it's done, oh no, it's gotta limp along a bit more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Dementia, and Gaslighting

latelygrace's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? No

2.0

I don’t know how I keep ending up with the weirdest books, but here we are again. What a whirlwind, and not in a good way. It has a promising concept, and took me by surprise by taking a swift left turn into an attempt at a modern gothic narrative. Then it became increasingly clear that it was written by an American who knows just enough about English aristocracy to totally misuse it and in her rush to include so many different elements and plot devices the author felt like she was alternately lost in her own story and then rushing ahead of herself. The “magic” builds up for 3/4 of the book, only to be resolved unsatisfactorily in the course of a few pages. The literary trend of dual storylines spanning history was clumsy and not fully developed. The characters of the past more literary device than developed characters though the reader is clearly supposed to feel some connection toward them. Not to mentioned the rushed romance squeezed into the last chapters. Threads that were tied off were done so too quickly and haphazardly and several others were left to dangle as the author completely shifted focus in the end. Anyway, not at all what I expected and tbh I don’t really know what to rate it so I’m going to go middle of the road again with 2.5  ⭐️ or maybe a straight 2 for  making me read the last few chapters of “romantic” nonsense. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, War, and Classism