Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

24 reviews

butilikeit's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Confinement, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Sexual assault, Death of parent, Rape, Murder, Pregnancy, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Mental illness, Animal death, Miscarriage, Drug use, and Alcohol

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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

4.75

I had quite a good time with this book, and I kept picking it up to find out more of the story as it unfolded. I'll definitely look at this author again. I appreciated the unease of the book and not being sure if the narrators are reliable. Trauma all over the place.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Infidelity, Grief, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Rape, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, and Death

Moderate: Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Chronic illness, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Animal cruelty and Blood

audioaxolotl's review against another edition

mysterious 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

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Drug use, Miscarriage, Toxic friendship, and Physical abuse

Minor: Animal death and Adult/minor relationship

thehmkane's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad 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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Animal cruelty, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Child abuse, Animal death, Misogyny, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Death, Rape, Infidelity, Death of parent, Murder, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Suicide, Body shaming, and Gaslighting

Minor: Homophobia, Medical content, Stalking, and Medical trauma

passionatereader78's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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

5.0

A tragic story with a happy ending. Reading this book was heartbreaking. A family falls on hard times and let's the wrong people move in. The  Irresponsible Adults were ruining their children's lives by abusing and starving them. This is a must read thriller. There were so many Twist and turns in this book. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Confinement, and Abandonment

Minor: Animal cruelty, Violence, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault

jaydub0221's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Murder, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Death

Minor: Alcohol, Animal death, Deportation, and Homophobia

amgarrido's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense 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? It's complicated

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Drug use, and Confinement

Moderate: Suicide, Sexual content, Blood, Sexual assault, Infertility, and Infidelity

dorsetreader's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Child death, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Violence, Animal death, Miscarriage, Drug use, and Emotional abuse

galexy_brain's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I definitely enjoyed my time reading this book. I found some of the twists surprising ,

but for the most part, the outcomes were as expected. I enjoyed the tripartite narration where the three main "siblings'" stories/perspectives were told in short, alternating chapters, and the discovery that Henry turned out to be an unreliable narrator. Though the ending didn't come as a shock, I was satisfied with how each mystery was uncovered and the coziness of the family reunion. Henry's closing chapter certainly left some things to mull over after the book was done.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Physical abuse

Minor: Homophobia, Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Cancer, Car accident, Chronic illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Murder, Pregnancy, Suicide, and Toxic friendship

andatherrin's review against another edition

medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Rape, Stalking, Murder, and Suicide

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic friendship, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy

Minor: Infertility and Abandonment