Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Maid by Nita Prose

82 reviews

maddy707's review against another edition

mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

 

I am conflicted about this book. Although there were aspects I enjoyed, those aspects also come with things I didn’t enjoy.

For the most part I liked the main character. Though the random quotes/catchphrases I found cringeworthy. The autism aspects of the character are pretty stereotypical but also don’t make much sense. On one page you have her struggling to understand emotions and facial expressions. On the next you have her perfectly understanding people's behaviour. It’s inconsistent. 

This book is written in a first person perspective which I wasn’t a fan of at first but I eventually got used to it. FPP will always read like fan fiction to me in the beginning. 

At the end of the book there is this really great scene showing us the moment that Gran died. It’s incredibly emotional… and then it’s ruined by the main character essentially murdering Gran upon her request. Why couldn’t she just go in her sleep and stop breathing normally. Why did she have to make the main character do that? Additionally, while I understand Gran was very important to Molly, the constant mentions of her death and the grief that Molly feels is so overdone. It feels like every single page Molly is talking about her Gran’s death. Like we get it, she’s dead and you are sad about it, anything else? 

The writing of Detective Stark is so unprofessional and not at all how a detective would act. It’s like this was her first case ever. Every single time she spoke it irked me so bad. Not sure if the author intended for me to be so annoyed by her. 

The part at the end where it is revealed that Molly knew who the killer was all along makes no sense and almost completely ruined the book for me. Molly has no reason to cover for the killer outside of not liking Mr Black. About 50% of this book would have been resolved much quicker if Molly just told the police that. There are no clues given to the reader at all that Molly knew who the killer was. It’s like the author threw it in there at the last minute. It honestly makes 0 sense at all. It’s so out of character.

The actual crime itself makes no sense. Why did nobody check the security cameras? Why is Molly arrested when there isn’t actually any substantial evidence towards her being the killer. Why isn’t there more investigation into Mr. Black’s day and his ex-wife. It just makes no sense at all. 

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Cancer, and Murder

Minor: Addiction

katypotaty0908's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Murder, Cancer, and Domestic abuse

passionatereader78's review against another edition

emotional funny mysterious medium-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

4.0

Well written mystery! I didn't see the ending coming! Fun read! I love Molly!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Murder, Drug use, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship

jlblumenfeld's review against another edition

3.0

This book kind of frustrated me in that it felt kind of like they were making light of what literally happens to ASD folks regularly, getting unknowingly coerced/manipulated into crimes because they think the person is their friend. I appreciated the ending and was glad she ended up with JM.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Deportation, Suicide, Murder, Ableism, and Toxic friendship

celery's review against another edition

Didn't vibe with the writing style. I don't believe it was very good autistic representation either, the narrator/main character did not come across as autistic, she came across stupid, and they are not the same thing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Drug use, Addiction, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Ableism, Alcohol, Grief, Classism, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Mental illness, and Murder

lydsgrace99's review against another edition

funny inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism and Murder

Moderate: Bullying, Terminal illness, Domestic abuse, Death, Deportation, Cancer, Physical abuse, and Drug use

Minor: Alcohol, Classism, Grief, Violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Addiction, and Alcoholism

seismicality's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny informative mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I enjoyed this book, the plot twist at the end really surprised me!  I don't think I've read a book before with the point-of-view of someone who is autistic (or at least heavily implied to be) - which is great representation for Neurodiverse folks. The depiction was well written, although I believe it fell into quite a few stereotypes - which took away from that slightly. Overall a good book :) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Bullying, Grief, and Death

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Torture, Terminal illness, Deportation, Drug abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Alcohol, Xenophobia, Pregnancy, Infidelity, Gun violence, Addiction, and Eating disorder

theverycraftyvegan's review against another edition

mysterious sad 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

5.0

I flew through this book! I couldn’t stop listening. It kept me guessing until almost the very end. I love Molly and cannot wait to tackle Nita’s second book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Terminal illness, Death, Death of parent, and Classism

Moderate: Cursing, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, Infidelity, and Physical abuse

katlinstirling_reads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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? N/A

4.0

Really enjoyed this read. Twisty and suspenseful, not what I expected at all. I was left speechless at times. Would recommend reading if you like thriller mysteries! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Addiction, Domestic abuse, Violence, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Drug abuse, Death, Terminal illness, Drug use, Suicide, Alcohol, Gun violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship

danikajoan's review against another edition

dark lighthearted mysterious sad slow-paced

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

1.0

I had assumed that the author of this book was neurodivergent, like her main character, and when I found out she wasn’t it seemed like such a weird choice, especially with the way she chose to write Molly, who reads like Amelia Bedelia most of the time. The mystery itself isn’t anything especially interesting, and if I wanted a charming British whodunnit I should have just re-read Thursday Murder Club 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Grief, Abandonment, Deportation, Drug abuse, Death, Ableism, Chronic illness, Cancer, Classism, Medical content, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent