Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Mary Jane by Jessica Anya Blau

9 reviews

ambercunningham's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

I still have mixed feelings about this book and the characters, but the writing was so good. It was both sad and hopeful at the same time. A very well done coming of age story. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Drug use, Mental illness, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Drug abuse, and Infidelity

katiemack's review

emotional funny hopeful 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? It's complicated

4.25

This is unexpectedly cute and fun, aside from some scary/creepy moments with the adults in the Cone household. The ending is surprisingly touching, though I wish we had gotten to see more moments with Mary Jane and her mom to increase its poignancy.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Sexual content, and War

Minor: Racial slurs, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, and Racism

cristinareading's review against another edition

inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

This book feels like watching one of those coming-of-age movies which you keep rewatching as you get older and still love. It is very obviously from the perspective of a 14-year-old girl and the author genuinely writes it in a way a teenage girl would think and act. Great book, would highly suggest for a beach read that is more on the literary fiction/ contemportary fiction side. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Terminal illness, Sexual content, Racism, and Drug use

There is a level of child neglect that is discussed in this book so be warned of that.

jkull_10's review against another edition

funny lighthearted 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

1.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Antisemitism, Mental illness, Misogyny, Racism, Religious bigotry, Body shaming, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Classism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Addiction, and Adult/minor relationship

stepnic's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Infidelity

Moderate: Drug use, Racism, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Cursing, Drug abuse, and Mental illness

Minor: Classism, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Cancer, and Alcoholism

faduma's review

dark emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Antisemitism, Physical abuse, Racism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Self harm

mommarex1221's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Antisemitism, Infidelity, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Body shaming, Alcohol, Cancer, Classism, Cursing, and Drug abuse

thepaperwitch's review

adventurous funny 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? No

4.0

 This was such a good, solid, and well written book. It was nice to dive in to a story that explored the tumultuous changes you go through as a teen that really focused on the uncertainty and confusion that comes from your family and the values you have grown up on coming into conflict with the person you are becoming. The stark contrast between the rigid, neat, racist, cold parents with the messy, loud, open, and honest found-family Mary Jane babysits for brings her a whole new understanding to the vibrancy and diversity the world offers. The struggle she has in trying to balance the two worlds with her own happiness is what makes this book shine.

I liked that this book shows that relationships of all kinds can be messy, but that the people in them are the ones that define their happiness and what love looks like for them. I felt that this was the unifying theme that defined the ending and wrapped the book up well. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, Antisemitism, Drug use, Racism, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia

jaynovara's review

lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship