Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Animal: A Novel by Lisa Taddeo

30 reviews

clairebartholomew549's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-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

3.0

I don't know how to feel about this book. I resonated with a lot of its themes and assertions about the ceaseless violence men commit against women and the ways our entire inner lives are shaped by the men we're exposed to, and I appreciated Joan's unabashed commitment to voicing the darkest parts of herself. But I found the plot kind of tiring, definitely disturbing, and vaguely performative; it felt a little redundant of other books I've read like it before, like The Girls and Bright Young Women, and it was not an enjoyable read.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infertility, Sexism, Death, Misogyny, Murder, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Gore, Pregnancy, Rape, Toxic relationship, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Blood, Death of parent, Dementia, Drug use, Violence, Grief, and Vomit

jesssicawho's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-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

4.0

Sheesh. That was an emotionally exhausting book. The writing is brilliant, every single word feels intentional. There were so many sentences or paragraphs I highlighted as powerful insights. The story, however, is brutal. Uncomfortable, painful, infuriating. I am glad I read this so I can say I’ve experienced Taddeo’s prose but I’m not in a rush to read anything else from her. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Sexual assault, Child abuse, Suicide, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Child death, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, and Infidelity

itsbilliam's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

please please look up TW’s before reading this book. i will never be the same person after this read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Abortion, Rape, Sexual assault, Death, Miscarriage, Dementia, Toxic friendship, Pregnancy, Murder, Sexual violence, Drug use, Pedophilia, and Blood

thebookpaiges's review against another edition

dark emotional tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Grief, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Mental illness, Murder, Drug use, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Infertility, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Self harm, Suicide attempt, and Emotional abuse

kendoge's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

I loved this but holy hell was it tough to hear. I listened on audiobook and the narration was amazing. The prose was beautiful and incredibly well written but so difficult and heart wrenching. This gave me every emotion and thought I wanted Nightbitch to give me. The content warnings are as long as the book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Pedophilia, Infertility, Child abuse, Abandonment, Abortion, Blood, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Child death, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Miscarriage, Sexual content, Grief, Physical abuse, Murder, Drug abuse, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Stalking, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Violence, Terminal illness, Sexual violence, Sexism, Self harm, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Infidelity, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Drug use, and Death of parent

grunbean's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring tense 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

5.0

I have never read female rage like this before. If you have ever experienced what it is like to present as female in this world, you will relate to. It’s womanhood’s revenge fantasy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Infertility, Dementia, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Death, Death of parent, Cursing, Grief, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Infidelity, Gun violence, and Sexism

Minor: Vomit, Toxic friendship, Sexual assault, Abortion, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Pedophilia, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Sexual violence, and Violence

rachthecreator's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Murder, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Abandonment, Child death, Miscarriage, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Dementia, Suicide, and Vomit

asuresh's review against another edition

fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Sexual harassment, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Car accident, Child death, Death of parent, Grief, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Cursing, Eating disorder, Blood, Death, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Murder, Toxic friendship, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicide, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, and Suicidal thoughts

ashpociadlo's review against another edition

dark 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape

Moderate: Blood, Sexual harassment, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, Murder, Infertility, Grief, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Drug abuse, Dementia, Child death, Abandonment, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Stalking, Sexual assault, Sexism, and Child abuse

imogenimi's review against another edition

challenging dark sad medium-paced

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

3.5

I enjoy dark books but this was a bit much even for me at points. I flittered between being really engrossed and needing long breaks because I just wasn’t getting any pleasure at all from reading. Not necessarily a bad thing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Toxic friendship, Gore, Child death, Violence, Abortion, Blood, and Medical trauma