Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Toad by Katherine Dunn

4 reviews

synapticneuron's review

challenging dark reflective 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

I've recently become a fan of books that bring stories, characters, and unique perspectives to light, and thusly stumbled into Toad. 

This book certainly fills all those roles, but not in the way I had hoped. The more I read this dark, intriguing, slice-of-life/memoir, the more I hated it. 

The characters all are unsightly people who make sure the world knows how bitter or blind they are to it. I felt almost no pity or remorse for the plight that they constantly dove into. They make decisions that want to make you rip your hair out, close the book, and perhaps even burn it.

That being said, I kept reading. 

Moreso to hold alight this morbidly interestingly life that the late Kathrine Dunn procured in her brain. A story once lost, but unearthed post-death to live a new life. She has such a way with words, and it's captivating power would keep taking me by surprise with it's intricate and intimate prose. 

But more often that power was used  to twist the reader's vision into the mud. You get to know it's taste and textures, and who's boot has last been in it. Maybe too familiar. 

I think that gritty familiarity, as bitter as it is, just may help you understand the people you pass by, and world you walk in. 

 I felt torn in the usefulness of the tagged content warnings. How these elements were used, and is a driving reason I would not recommend this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Child death, Animal cruelty, Fatphobia, Animal death, and Self harm

Moderate: Gore, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Excrement

Minor: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship

gabedon's review

dark reflective tense 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? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Fatphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Mental illness, and Drug use

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Excrement, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Animal cruelty, and Animal death

Minor: Vomit

emily_stimmel's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Child death, and Animal death

Moderate: Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Fatphobia, and Animal cruelty

carolinefaireymeese's review

dark funny sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

Her sentences are unreal. I couldn’t put this book down for the Sam/Carlotta plot, but the frame narrative had excellent writing about self-protection, stagnation, regret, isolation… Dunn herself is impressive, but the editorial process of publishing an unpublished novel after the author passes away was fascinating. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Drug use, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Body shaming

Minor: Child death