Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Skim by Mariko Tamaki

9 reviews

steveatwaywords's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

Skim is a story of young women and misunderstanding, of challenges to compassion and walls against love, of the gulfs between death and alienation, of all of us stumbling ahead nonetheless. Insecurity is near the heart of Tamaki's characters who casually lash out and judge the behaviors of difference, but it is an insecurity nonetheless paired with longing. There is no clear path to love, and tentative overtures are as likely to be lost as tragically fulfilled.

While the stark black and white illustration work complements the bleakness of the story and the divisions between characters, I wondered at points whether greyer tones might better represent the quiet quests of these students against the public performative nonsense the mainstream offers.

Tamaki takes on the misunderstandings we have as people, not merely adolescents, around our discussions of suicide, of enmity, of community. And we must not expect pat or final answers to any of it; quite the opposite. We just keep moving forward as best we can.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Self harm, Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Suicide, and Fatphobia

There is no graphic depiction of harm, death, or sexual situations, but these questions dominate the plot.

peachani's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective slow-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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Racism, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Suicide attempt, Child death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Outing, Pedophilia, and Suicide

duriancake's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

This book was refreshing to read and was something I'm so glad I picked up! The art was beautiful and was a beautiful heartfelt story about growing up and loss. Initially, I was unsure about what to expect from this book after reading Amazon reviews since some seemed to come off that the book was romanticizing adult/minor relationships but I felt that the narrative was designed to show it wasn't a good thing even if it didn't say it explicitly. Race isn't a major topic in the book but it also had a moment that reaffirmed ones I had growing up Asian in a pwi and was nice to see incorporated into the story.

The ending was hopeful and had Skim finding her own way by

leaving behind a toxic relationship and a toxic friendship for Katie Matthews who unexpectedly befriends her and is hinted to end up with Skim.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death, and Grief

witchofthemountains's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Homophobia, Death, Cursing, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Fatphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Ableism, Toxic friendship, Racism, Lesbophobia, Grief, and Bullying

leni's review against another edition

medium-paced

1.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Bullying, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Suicide

includes student/teacher relationship

moonchildjuli's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Death, Eating disorder, Homophobia, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Lesbophobia, Racism, Suicide, Mental illness, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

candycain's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Fatphobia, and Adult/minor relationship

mme_carton's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Death

Moderate: Body shaming, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide attempt

ehmannky's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective relaxing sad fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

For such a short graphic novel tackling such heavy topics, this book was remarkably reflective and calming. It reads so like an ostracized teenager's diary, and I recognized so many feelings from when I was a teenager reflected here, even if I had no where near as eventful high school experience as the teens in this book do. 

One of the things I loved most about it was watching a friendship dissolve in a way that was neither bitter or painful, but simply a relationship that had reached its natural end. I think that the emphasis on the closing of these old relationships (particularly some that are not particularly healthy) as a pathway to something new was really remarkable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, and Suicide

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Homophobia