Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Connexion immédiate by Mary H.K. Choi

29 reviews

hmlongstreet's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted 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

2.0

I had written a review on this book but it somehow got deleted so I am rewriting this.
I picked up this book because the cover had a review by Rainbow Rowell (author of Fangirl and Eleanor & Park) and she said it was a good read. This is my usual book genre, a fluffy college romance. I got invested in the story, I really did but after I had finished the book I was left with the feeling of "That's it?". The book has a promising beginning, a going somewhere middle, and a disappointing end. 

Themes, characters, and stories are brought up only to be dropped in the next few sections, never to be heard from again. Even some conflicts remained unsolved and even when it was resolved I felt zero satisfaction. This is the book where you could leave out full characters and the story would not change one bit. And the main characters are just okay, the story is character-based but the development to me felt so small. I also could not find the plot, as I went through three ideas of what it could be, it is revealed so far towards the end it makes the whole story feel pointless. 

I will mention something about the main character, will place a spoiler as it reveals things in the book.

I found that Penny's treatment of her mother was unjustified. I mean we find out Penny was raped and her mother didn't do anything, she also doesn't know and never learns by the end of the book. It is made out to seem like this is why Penny has a bad relationship with her mom, but it just doesn't sit right with me. This is revealed so late that it makes you think throughout Penny doesn't like her mother simply because she is a "MILF". I could go on but this would be a much longer review than it already is.

I really wanted to love this one, but after I finished it and sat with it for a few minutes I couldn't.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault

bookedbymadeline's review against another edition

emotional funny relaxing 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Pregnancy, Body shaming, Dysphoria, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Alcoholism

Minor: Miscarriage, Racism, and Bullying

essie__reads's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Abandonment, Bullying, Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Racism, and Toxic relationship

kayladaila's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Abandonment, Abortion, Alcoholism, and Adult/minor relationship

dez_blair's review against another edition

emotional hopeful lighthearted 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Mental illness

Minor: Alcoholism, Cursing, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity

e_lace's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted slow-paced

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

2.0

This book was fine. Not a fan of the way it just kind of glazed over a bunch of hard subjects and swept them under the rug. Like does Sam finish his documentary? Is Penny's story even good? Mallory is still racist? But whatever. If you're looking for something low stakes to remind you of being an incredibly careless college freshman slowly discovering that everyone around you also has trauma, this might be the book for you. It wasn't the book for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Racism, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Rape

The entire book's plot is predicated on the main love interest having a panic attack in the middle of the street and there is a character who is blatantly racist multiple times who never learns from that?

The mc also reveals a high school sexual assault as a reason for her poor relationship with her mother

thenovelbookshelf's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted 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? It's complicated

2.25

I don't know if it was being in a hard lockdown (#4 in Melbourne) or the characters or the story, but I felt like I couldn't get close to the characters in the story. I felt Sam and Penny were just in the wrong time for each other, Penny being more mature, and Sam just floating not know where he is going in life. 

  

And then there's the superficial secondary characters that just seem so overdone, Celeste with her 40 turning 20 attitude, Jude with her crush on her non-biological uncle that's not her uncle, and Mallory with her snobby wannabe upper attitude. I felt there was more drama and story with these characters than that of Sam and Penny. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

alymarsh's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful reflective sad slow-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

3.5

This book takes you on a journey of love and loss and everything in between. A cute journey of a start of a realationship where they can rely on the person to just listen and be there. At the end of the book I was to the point screaming for them to just go to therapy though please. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Rape, Racism, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Car accident, Grief, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Body shaming

Minor: Child death and Islamophobia

yvonne_cl's review against another edition

dark funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Abortion, Cancer, Car accident, Drug abuse, and Drug use