Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman

33 reviews

elvenpanther's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

A vivid portrait of addiction with a supernatural twist. I felt there were several points within the plot that could have been expanded upon. The characters were eh, none of them super likeable. I didn't hate the book, but I also wasn't super impressed by it. Okay for a passive listen while I was working

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Addiction, Toxic friendship, and Drug abuse

phantomgecko's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

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

1.5

I didn't like this at all. I don't know why I finished it. Stubborn I guess.

For one, I just couldn't relate with Erin at all. Her psychotic dependence on Silas was annoying and inexplicable. I understand it's a commentary on addiction, but all the characters just sucked so much.

Also, the author has a choking fetish or something because, boy howdy, did they use the word "throat" excessively and repeatedly depict and describe choking.

Final word, it was upsetting and not worth the message. idk

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Confinement, Death, Toxic friendship, Body horror, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Murder

alexisgarcia's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

3.0

this book is crazy. it feels like a fever dream to read. the characters are all pretty insufferable but luckily it didn’t ruin the experience.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Body horror, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cursing, Dysphoria, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Medical content

l_piller's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Vomit

Moderate: Cannibalism

ericamanami's review against another edition

dark reflective 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

3.0

I’d categorize this as horror light personally. But maybe I’m jaded. By definition of horror there’s a bit of the element to repulse readers.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Suicide attempt, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Grief, and Drug abuse

erica_reads_things's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Though I enjoyed the process of reading this book, I'm not sure what to make of it coming out the other side. There are so many different themes throughout that I'm just not sure where to land on the point of the book being, and I'm not sure if it knows itself either. Didn't make it a bad experience for me by any means, but I just didnt get that "aha!" moment of realizing how everything connects and the meaning of it. Was this a metaphor for addiction in general? An autonomous fungus taking over? Actual ghosts at the heart of everything? Not sure. But I enjoyed the process. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug use, Cannibalism, Death, Vomit, Body horror, Drug abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Gore, Death of parent, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Emotional abuse and Sexual content

froggydanny's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Grief, Vomit, Death, Addiction, Car accident, Drug use, and Body horror

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Child death

markedwithanm's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Cannibalism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Vomit, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gore, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Addiction, Toxic relationship, and Body horror

Moderate: Abortion

Minor: Death of parent

jaylee_books's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Blood, Drug abuse, Vomit, Panic attacks/disorders, Body horror, Drug use, Addiction, Toxic friendship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Death

Moderate: Child death, Pregnancy, Sexual content, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Abortion

jourdanicus's review against another edition

challenging dark slow-paced

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

3.0

Took me forever to get through the last 9-10% of this book, I guess by that point I just didn't care anymore. I do think it was a good story and had a lot of strengths. For me, the drug addiction analogy/"lesson" was too literal, though. The pauses with italicized text that I took to be Erin's intrusive thoughts felt kinda cheesy, and took me out of reading rather than immersing me more in Erin's point of view.

I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is into "sporror" (mushroom horror), as I can see it is a must-read in that canon. I think this one was just not for me, unfortunately.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Sexual content