Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

A Estrada da Noite by Joe Hill, Mário Molina

19 reviews

larkken's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicide, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse

river_severn's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Gun violence, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Animal death, Religious bigotry, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

stephanieluxton's review against another edition

dark sad medium-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

3.5

This book really isn't what I thought it'd be. I didn't find it scary but I did find it reasonably stressful. It's essentially about a man who becomes haunted by a ghost and sets out to uncover the truth about the haunting and find a way to free himself of it. There's some really excellent character development and I do like the story unfolded in a way I didn't expect. The story had a medium pace. I think it would have been better if it was either a fast paced thriller or if it was more of a slow burn horror that built a sense of dread. The second half of the book is better than the first!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Animal death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide

Moderate: Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug use, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Mental illness, and Alcohol

Minor: Infidelity, Sexual assault, Homophobia, and Incest

There are two graphic dog deaths in which injuries are fairly detailed. The antagonist in the book tries many times to make the protagonists kill themselves or eachother via hypnosis. It's also revealed later that he used hypnosis on his stepdaughter so she wouldn't remember him sexually assaulting her. Sexual assault of minors is another theme throughout the book although it's not described in detail.

boundforinfinity's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Rock meets Stephen king/Shirley Jackson and creates this stunning story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Suicide, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Child abuse, Death, Alcoholism, Grief, Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Mental illness

Moderate: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Incest, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Religious bigotry, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship

monstersinspace's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Body shaming, and Violence

Moderate: Pedophilia, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, and Incest

Minor: Gaslighting

jenna_justi2004's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

booksof_fern's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, and Self harm

Moderate: Car accident, Chronic illness, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Suicide, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence

pricklypear's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death and Blood

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Animal cruelty, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, and Suicide

Minor: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, and Vomit

podanotherjessi's review against another edition

I have really, really loved some of Hill's more modern work. The Locke & Key graphic novels are amazing, and NOS4A2 single-handidly made me give the Horror genre another try after several disappointments. So imagine my absolute dismay to find this book to be just so awful.
Let me start with a positive. This book is genuinely creepy and unsettling. I won't say scary, but it did make my skin crawl. But... that's it. That's the one good thing I found in this book.
This book sensationalizes depression and self harm. It leaned into stereotypes about minorites. The characters were unlikable - which I normally don't mind - but they were also shallowly written. I was rooting for the ghost. And the pace was so fast I just lost interest because who cares where it's going? It felt like it was already there and then chugging along for no reason.
Honestly, I would have given up like 20% earlier if I wasn't reading with a friend. We got to this point before realizing we'd both lost any interest and were just pushing through for the other.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, and Violence