Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Penance by Eliza Clark

64 reviews

minella's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Bullying

Moderate: Torture and Sexual assault

bookishlysophie's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This feels like a book within a book within a book. The characters are so deeply fleshed out and I enjoyed the multimedia approach to the storytelling. I anticipated a plot twist early on but the actual twist was so much more intelligent and meaningful. I’d highly recommend.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Violence and Homophobia

Minor: Sexual assault and Murder

lovelylilelle's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Toxic friendship, Mass/school shootings, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Rape, Murder, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Blood, Body shaming, Child abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Torture, Suicide, Body horror, Classism, Death, Drug use, Alcohol, Fatphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Addiction

luciapoloni's review against another edition

dark informative reflective tense 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? It's complicated

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Murder, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Mental illness, Mass/school shootings, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Child abuse, Homophobia, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Self harm, and Alcoholism

coffeekitaab's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Alcoholism, Self harm, Violence, Body horror, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Child death, Confinement, Drug use, Homophobia, Incest, Biphobia, Blood, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Infidelity, Murder, Kidnapping, Lesbophobia, Mass/school shootings, Sexual assault, and Vomit

gia0203's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense slow-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

So engaging, so well-structured. At times I felt intimately connected to these characters. This has a lot to say about true crime as a genre - both as an exploitative, profit-led form of entertainment, but also as a source of comfort for young people. I found the narrator to be genuinely unsettling. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Bullying, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Animal death, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Self harm, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Lesbophobia, Mass/school shootings, Suicide, Violence, Body shaming, and Blood

Minor: Homophobia, Addiction, Fatphobia, Pedophilia, and Vomit

albon's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, and Bullying

Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Suicide, and Homophobia

readingwithgoose's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Mass/school shootings, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Torture, Violence, Sexual assault, and Kidnapping

braggsy's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective 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? It's complicated

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Toxic relationship, Child death, Kidnapping, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Violence, Sexual violence, Mass/school shootings, Alcohol, Bullying, Cursing, Sexual assault, Torture, and Gun violence

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Suicide, Self harm, Blood, Death of parent, Sexual content, Racism, and Religious bigotry

chl0reads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Child death, Classism, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Abandonment, Homophobia, Sexual assault, Ableism, Alcohol, Cursing, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Body shaming, Mental illness, Murder, Racism, and Self harm