Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee

89 reviews

ariheishichou's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

3.0

The story kept me hooked almost the whole way through. The setting was stunning, and the plot was of the twist variety -very entertaining even if somewhat guessable- so I thoroughly enjoyed those aspects of the book.
However, there were a couple of random things that confused me (such as Felicity mentioning that she never knew her grandparents when a couple of chapters before she was reminiscing fondly of her grandmother, but maybe that was an error on my part); and some of the book just wasn't to my taste, but, overall, it was an interesting and fun read.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Violence, Toxic relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Bullying, and Grief

Minor: Racism, Transphobia, and Eating disorder

keatynbergsten's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence

thatbookishfamily's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcohol, Cursing, Drug use, and Eating disorder

Minor: Racism

ajthequeen's review

dark 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

3.75

This…this was not the lesbian dark academia that everyone touted it to be. I wanted secret societies, mysterious blood rites, dark academia type stuff with lesbians. This…whew. It was very very good. I still have questions and a few things weren’t very clear, but it was a crazy ride reading this book. Also, this book is far more believable if you imagine college age women instead of high schoolers.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Death, and Mental illness

Moderate: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship

emmreads's review against another edition

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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Mental illness, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Grief and Toxic relationship

Minor: Forced institutionalization

samschub214's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Gaslighting, Gun violence, and Medical content

kathleencoughlin's review

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

1.75

I wanted to like this sapphic, witchy thriller but it just didn't do it for me. It has a good aesthetic for Halloween but it ultimately lacked substance. First, I understand the concept of an unreliable narrator but it was hard to keep track at times. In my opinion, the pacing was a bit off too; sometimes the book seemed to drag and the ending was kind of abrupt. As a result of both of these things, I had a hard time mustering the energy to care about any of thr characters. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Gaslighting, and Mental illness

Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Racism

starccato's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-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

2.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Bullying, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content

Minor: Abandonment, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Sexual content, and Vomit

xtrememonotreme's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Animal cruelty

e_flah's review

dark emotional 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

4.0

A Lesson in Vengeance was a gripping, atmospheric read. It somehow managed to include a ton of items in my reading wheelhouse, which was a real treat. Dalloway and Godwin House were rich settings that I loved reading about.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Animal death, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship