Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Le confessioni di Frannie Langton by Sara Collins

12 reviews

rwoodrum29's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.5

Beautiful story. Smattering of similes that draws attention away from the rest of the amazing prose. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Vomit, Violence, Abortion, Bullying, Death, Trafficking, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Colonisation, Lesbophobia, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Addiction, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Gore, Grief, Murder, Classism, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Suicide, Torture, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Blood, Cursing, Death of parent, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, and Rape

hedgehogreads01's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated

4.5

It took me almost a month to finish, as it feels a bit slow paced. Though it was easy for me to keep up with the characters and plot.
Well written, some quotes worth writing down, the character of Frannie Langton captured my attention every time I picked up the book, her voice loud and clear (even in laudanum stupor, it seemed), demanding the freedoms, the treatment each human being should have.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Violence, Murder, Racism, and Colonisation

Moderate: Alcoholism, Pregnancy, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Death, Toxic relationship, and Torture

2treads's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

"No one knows the worst thing they are capable of until they do it." 

Collins really put in the work to research and present a story that explored more than just plantation life and what it meant for slaves. That Frannie was chosen as a test subject by two white planters to see how far they could stretch and assess her intelligence. Using her as their instrument of torture against her own in a macabre dance of discovery to prove unfounded and incorrect perceptions about Black bodies.

We move from the plantation in Jamaica where Frannie is nothing more than a way for both Langton and his wife to exercise their spite and hateful beliefs to the manor of Benham and his madame where she is yet again positioned as a piece for either to use. Here, Frannie falls for the beautiful mistress of the house, ignoring all the signs that here lies her destruction and end.

These phases of her life are told to the reader by Frannie as she awaits trial for murder. Slowly, we uncover just what took place in the coachouse and how Frannie felt as she committed these unspeakable acts to how she maneuvered between a spoilt and depressed white woman and the man who wants to control both their lives. 

A really well-written debut.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Slavery, Torture, Racism, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Racial slurs, Murder, Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Body horror, and Addiction

Minor: Vomit and Abortion

ranaberry's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Dark tale of the interplay of human relationships in the context of the the cruelest institution  of mankind: slavery . Written passionately by an enslaved, then “employed” Jamaican woman. A very moving and achingly accurate account. I loved it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Racism, and Slavery

kiarabouyea's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.75

I really enjoyed this overall. I felt it was going to be predictable but it tended to surprise me! I like how much historical research went into making this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Addiction, Slavery, Racism, Racial slurs, and Death

library_kb's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad 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

I read this book for bookclub, and it was one that I procrastinated on because I just didn't want to pick it up and read it (I finished it 10 minutes before the meeting). I never really connected with the main character and had a hard time really understanding her choices, especially in the round-about way that the story was told, with a lot of vague references. That may have been part of the author's intent, but didn't draw me to the book. This is also a story with a lot of darkness--historically accurate but hard to read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Slavery, Vomit, Racism, Pregnancy, Suicide, Rape, Sexual violence, Medical trauma, Medical content, Drug use, Violence, Miscarriage, and Racial slurs

summerfireflies's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Sexual assault, Addiction, Colonisation, Suicide, Racism, Medical trauma, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Miscarriage, and Mental illness

Moderate: Abandonment, Child death, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Lesbophobia, Infidelity, Death, Grief, Incest, and Confinement

booksjessreads's review against another edition

dark informative sad

• 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? It's complicated

4.0

I read this a while ago but I remember really enjoying it. It was a very thoroughly told story which had convincing character descriptions and telling of events. I felt the story was very emotional in parts and I did feel very connected to Frannie. I think the story is well worth the read and I would definitely re-read this. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Miscarriage, Infidelity, Colonisation, Blood, Slavery, Torture, Racial slurs, Murder, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Death

Moderate: Sexual content, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Physical abuse

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A very well-researched unfolding story. Maybe the writing style wasn't quite my favorite. But great for reflecting on parallels between the anti-slavery movement Brits of then and the the Black-square-posters of today - both finding social justice trendy, but not really looking to commit to actionable change.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Addiction, Medical content, Racism, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Slavery, Colonisation, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pregnancy, Blood, Classism, Miscarriage, Murder, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Homophobia, Grief, Infertility, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal cruelty and Child death

If reading about babies and birth upsets you in any way, this book may not be for you.

bodiesinbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism

Moderate: Abortion, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Murder, Racial slurs, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit