Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Cleópatra e Frankenstein by Coco Mellors

266 reviews

lisapisa8's review against another edition

3.0

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Please look up content warning before reading this one. 
It’s a story about a very toxic couple, their friends and how they all live in this devil circle where everyone makes bad decisions. It is tough to read. The very very End is giving the Reader a glimes of hope.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

leeshahhh's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Transphobia

gizelleinak's review against another edition

3.25

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I saw a description of this book as "no plot, all vibes" and I agree. I didn't like most of the characters with the exception of Santiago and sometimes Eleanor. That said, it did keep my interest despite all the characters and their self-destructive traits so there's that. Despite lowish rating, I'd recommend to others just to get their opinions on it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship

Moderate: Terminal illness

Minor: Homophobia, Transphobia

sian_lucy's review against another edition

2.75

emotional funny sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship

Moderate: Emotional abuse

Minor: Racism

levtitticus's review against another edition

2.75

emotional fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Alcohol

Moderate: Animal death, Drug abuse, Sexual content

Minor: Death, Homophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail

akgrantmatz's review against another edition

4.5

dark emotional sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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The characters in the book are highly unlikeable, but their facets are also like those of every person you have ever met. It is dark, and triggering, and you constantly wish they would all make better decisions and better relationships, but also understand them making those choices. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Chronic illness, Death, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Outing, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, Classism

Minor: Transphobia, Vomit

thelibraryplaylist's review against another edition

4.0

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship

random19379's review against another edition

3.25

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cursing, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death of parent, Toxic friendship

Moderate: Animal death, Suicide, Medical content

Minor: Homophobia, Racism

yayrhianna's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Toxic friendship

emilysshelf's review against another edition

DID NOT FINISH: 41%

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This book felt like someone trying way too hard to be edgy and artsy. I understand that everyone is flawed but the characters in this book were wildly irritating and all toxic. The dynamics in the friend group were frustrating and I found it hard to care for any of them. I had heard lots of love for this book and was super excited but was definitely let down. Most of the characters were so self absorbed. The age-gap, and “but shes an old soul and so mature for her age” personality had me stressed. Book was insufferable and it genuinely stressed me out, I couldn’t even hate-read and push through it. Maybe in the future I’ll try to reread but it’ll be in the FAR future once the sour taste it left in my mouth is gone. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol