Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Blood Debts by Terry J. Benton-Walker

21 reviews

jadeandherbunny's review against another edition

I was just not interested enough. The characters were cool but I did not really care that much about them, felt sad-ish for

Eve's death (I don't know how to spell it, audiobooks ftw)

but that's it. I liked how mental health and homosexuality was represented. The pacing felt off for a YA book and I was surprised to see a sexual scene in a book of the genre, it was my first and also the first M/M scene I've read.
It is a good book in my opinion but it fell flat for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, Grief, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Cursing, Medical content, and Racism

Moderate: Colonisation, Rape, and Gun violence

moxiegirlzriot's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

Delightful split of narrators, made it easy to tell who was speaking when

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Grief, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Racism, Car accident, Drug use, Body horror, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Blood, Death, Death of parent, and Homophobia

bree_h_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

2.25

I was really looking forward to read this book. I thought it sounded like a promising concept and I was really curious to see where it went. Unfortunately it felt brought down by lacking the family and family working together when a theme seemed to BE family. What really ruined it for me was a s3x scene between 16-year-olds in the book. It don’t mind that being alluded to, some teens do it and there’s nothing wrong with acknowledging it. I, however, think that those scenes between characters that are minors should be FTB. I will say, it wasn’t drawn out or in explicit detail, but it wasn’t FTB and there was enough detail to make me feel uncomfortable as an adult listening to the book. Outside of that, the only other issue I had was my inability to buy into Clement’s romance, it just felt very shallow and while I felt the chemistry between characters it happened in such a short amount of time I couldn’t buy into the ending for it.

Otherwise, it was overall enjoyable. I thought the sibling dynamics felt realistic. I not only bought into them being siblings, but also their care for each other. The main character also really read like teenagers and felt realistic in that aspect. Overall most characters actually felt very dynamic and rounded out.

The magic system and world building felt realistic and were well executed in delivery. Overall it was interesting and I enjoyed learning about it. The world building also really helped convey some of the books themes and messages. Even with the aforementioned themes and messages were conveyed to the reader in a very heavy handed way. It was a minor detriment to the quality, as it didn’t allow the reader to think for themselves while reading.

Overall, I don’t intend to continue the series, but this was a mostly enjoyable read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Cultural appropriation, Blood, Misogyny, Grief, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Homophobia, Murder, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Gun violence, Racism, Sexism, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual violence, Death of parent, and Mental illness

Moderate: Classism, Drug use, Excrement, Infidelity, Car accident, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, Alcohol, Chronic illness, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Rape

amberinpieces's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, and Blood

Moderate: Grief, Mental illness, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Homophobia, Murder, and Violence

Minor: Classism, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Hate crime, Slavery, Drug use, Stalking, Infidelity, Bullying, Medical content, Vomit, Domestic abuse, and Gun violence

roseleebooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is a YA contemporary fantasy that explores themes of trauma, family, racism, power, and justice, all through the lense of characters who are still working out their place in the world.

This is a story that follows teenage twins Clem and Chris, whose family has a history of power and loss related to their inherited magic and former leadership on the Generational magic council. Their search for answers about the death of their father leads to a much bigger mystery than they were prepared for.

The book reads like a detective story and there are a lot of elements built around the magic system and politics related to the council. It is fast paced but the way each new piece of information is revealed makes sense and helps to move the story along without feeling contrived. I thought the characters actions were logical for them as teenagers who are trying to solve a mystery while also navigating their lives as 16-year-olds.

I really enjoyed the writing, it feels like it would translate well to television or film because of the focus on events and plot. There is resolution at the end, but definitely some setup for the next book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Homophobia, Mental illness, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Bullying, Racism, and Sexual content

melody_travers's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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: Racism, Homophobia, Gun violence, Sexual assault, Hate crime, Grief, Gore, Body horror, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

enbyfinley's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

The book starts slow, I am gonna be honest that’s why so sorta drug as I read it, but once it picked up I was strapped in. 

I know there will be a second because there were not only questions unanswered but there is gonna be some mess and I love it.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Racism, and Mental illness

Minor: Vomit and Toxic friendship

legalplanner's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

Run, don't walk to pick this up if you have not. 

I was thoroughly impressed by Benton-Walker's ability to weave a magical realism story in with a murder mystery cold case. The two protagonists are twins, who should be next in line to rule the magical community they are a part of. These 16 year olds felt real to me, especially living in a big city like New Orleans, this didn't feel unrealistic in their sleuthing around like some mysteries feel like.

I loved the dynamics between the characters in that they were messy. They had real issues amongst family and even though they were "close" they weren't perfect and had to work to be family. Even the twins who should have been their biggest allies to each other instead were often failing to see each other in their truest light.

Benton-Walker's writing was beautiful. I felt the heaviness that needed to be present in the tough topics of race relations, political oppression, and many other tough topics. More than that the multiple points of view were excellently well done. They didn't feel forced but didn't make me feel like it messed up the book either. I was invested as soon as I got through the first 30 pages.

I cannot wait for the next book and the series and will be patiently waiting, as much as I can, to read the next installment.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Toxic friendship, Death, Murder, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Gaslighting, Gun violence, Homophobia, Cultural appropriation, Bullying, and Car accident

Minor: Death of parent and Panic attacks/disorders

kendal_reads's review against another edition

I thought the characters were going to be older & that were was a more strain relationship between them. Also the writing just wasn’t for me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Mental illness

Moderate: Death of parent, Homophobia, and Sexual content

booksthatburn's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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

5.0

Clement (Clem) and Cristina (Cris) are twins, Gen(erational) magic users living in New Orleans. Cris has recently pulled away from her magic because she thinks a spell she performed is responsible for their father's death. It's a secret so terrible that she hasn't shared it with anyone, leaving Clem adrift and frustrated, not understanding why his sister refuses to do this thing she's so good at and used to love. Their family has been displaced from their previous position in the Gen Magic Council, of which their grandmother was the queen before she was killed and blamed for someone else's death. BLOOD DEBTS deals with trauma from racism, cultural appropriation, and self-interested cruelty, and how connection and family ties can help the Trudeau family withstand everything hurled against them.

Clem and Cris are the two main narrators, but occasional sections follow other perspectives, such as the girl who used to be Cris's best friend. Echoing what played out between their grandmothers decades ago, she turned cruel and seems to have made it her mission to wreck Cris's life. Clem has his own problems, frustrated with how his sister has pulled away since their father died, he's trying to feel connected with her seemingly revolving cast of brief links. He doesn't understand Cris dating a white boy and she doesn't understand him dating so many boys. I love the way their dynamic is written, because it really feels like teenage siblings who want to connect to each other but don't have the experience to understand the way that their mutual teasing is alternately a barrier as much as it's a connection. They're also stressed out by their mother's illness, but almost as soon as the story begins they discover it was unnaturally caused and the only way to protect their family is to get all of their aunts to come home and help cast a protection. There's a wonderful mix of showing and specifically processing the way the ways that the discord and difficulty communicating between their mother and her sisters has then made it harder for Clem and Cris to navigate their relationship with each other.

Digging into the past unearths old wrongs and tangled threads, highlighting misery in the present. The twins are following their own paths of restitution, reconciliation, and resolution as they work, not quite at cross-purposes, but on parallel tracks of investigation as they each try to find out who was hurting their mother, and whether anyone is still trying to hurt them. Cris is navigating her relationship with her with her boyfriend, and Cris meets a new boy who sweeps him away.  

I love the ending, things are wrapped up in a way that feels immensely satisfying for 95% of the story, and then rather dramatically unresolved for a plot point so tantalizing that I'm eager for the planned sequel. The dangling threads make it feel real and alive, but the way in which it's unresolved sets it firmly back in the realm of drama and fantasy in a way that I find very pleasing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Forced institutionalization, and Confinement

Moderate: Sexual assault, Drug use, Death of parent, Rape, Alcohol, Bullying, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Car accident, Death, and Medical content

Minor: Pregnancy, War, Body shaming, Mental illness, Vomit, Fatphobia, Infertility, and Self harm