Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Flowers for the Sea by Zin E. Rocklyn

6 reviews

mgromero's review

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

One of the recommended books at my library and wow, so glad I picked this up.  Thin but packed full of nuance and emotions. I will definitely be purchasing and rereading this book. Half a star off only because at times it was almost too much “show, don’t tell” which made it difficult to stay in the story at times. Really hope Zin Rocklyn has given interviews on this book because I am fascinated to hear more about her mind behind the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Sexual content, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Death, Grief, Child death, and Pregnancy

vigil's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

1.5

this book honestly reads as extremely uninspired and derivative. i think it is unfair to compare books and authors to each other, but once i read that rivers solomon was an inspiration to the author, it was extremely clear to me why. 

if you entered this book for the sea creature element, and you enjoyed the commentary on trauma, and all the other shit that fucked up baby started spouting towards the end, read the deep by rivers solomon, which a better take on the subjects by a mile. 

this book tried to posit itself and its character work as something it wasn’t, and this is at it’s clearest in the ending, that is meant to be a kind of reclamation of oneself and autonomy, but to the reader, evidently less concerned with symbolism than the author, it comes across as a new kind of chain. really, the prose is lovely, and the atmosphere is strong, rocklyn conveys very visceral horror and emotions through the protagonist’s experience, but there’s really nothing in this book that justifies reading it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Gore, Blood, Body horror, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Pregnancy, Cursing, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence

bluebrooks's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

female rage, beautiful beautiful beautiful writing.... we love to see it. i will be thinking about this for a while and will probably return to write an actual review but for now i'm just gonna drop the 5 stars this little book deserves. 

(if u like this u will probably also enjoy here, the world entire !!) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Excrement, Body horror, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Grief, Abandonment, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Blood, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Abortion and Suicidal thoughts

talonsontypewriters's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Medical content, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Confinement

Minor: Infidelity and Sexism

Unwanted/forced pregnancy; childbirth and post-natal care. Infant death/harm. Generational trauma; discrimination/persecution. Urination, various other bodily fluids, brief emetophobia. Animal attacks, including on children. Needles in the context of wound care.

abby_griesmar's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This book reads like a fever dream you don’t want to wake up from. So much story is packed into such a short little book. Chaotic and captivating through the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Medical content, Infertility, Death, Death of parent, Child death, and Blood

shadeyc's review against another edition

challenging dark 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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Well. This certainly delivers on creep factor.
I was a bit confused at the beginning, and part of the middle. There are a few flash backs that I got mixed up with dreamscapes, so it felt a bit muddly. BUT! The end is triumphant.
The last quarter/end ramped this up a whole star for me, even though it feels abrupt.
Someone else has mentioned they felt the same reading this as they did reading The Deep.
I personally liked The Deep a little better, but I'm used to Solomon's writing style and I felt that book was a little longer, had more room to fully immerse you. Plus that one got me in the feels hard.
This is an excellent novella - it's full of anger and maternal horror. Perhaps I was a little disconnected from it as I am not a mother and don't plan to be, so it had to lie solely on body horror and painful history to get to me.
I'm definitely interested to read more from this author in the future though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship