Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

58 reviews

ahoyitsjoy's review against another edition

mysterious fast-paced

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

1.5

This felt more like middle grade than YA. The writing was incredibly repetitive, as if the author expects you to instantly forget something unless it's repeated 5 times in quick succession. The fun party of mysteries is trying to solve them before they're revealed--that's not possible here, because you pretty much never have all the pieces and you just have to wait for the characters to explain things. And the explanations are not very satisfying at all. Also, there is, of course, a really stupid love triangle with instant attraction that makes no sense (beyond teenagers being teenagers, I guess). 

"For fans of Knives Out" I have never felt so betrayed. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Death of parent, Grief, and Death

meaganb914's review

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Mental illness

litliz's review

adventurous challenging dark 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dysphoria, Alcohol, Child death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Gaslighting, Violence, Medical content, Body horror, Cursing, Blood, Car accident, Death, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Grief, Abandonment, Classism, Emotional abuse, Lesbophobia, Physical abuse, and Chronic illness

guessgreenleaf's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Car accident, Alcohol, Child death, Classism, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Toxic friendship, Stalking, Murder, Infidelity, Gun violence, and Domestic abuse

becca_w_'s review

adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Classism, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, Blood, Child death, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol and Car accident

Minor: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Racism, Medical content, Terminal illness, Abandonment, Bullying, and Stalking

madalina0_0's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious relaxing tense medium-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Stalking, Abandonment, and Gun violence

Moderate: Emotional abuse

Minor: Murder, Child abuse, and Death

yzer2468's review

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious relaxing fast-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Lesbophobia and Abandonment

Minor: Death

tsked_off's review against another edition

adventurous 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Toxic friendship, and Death of parent

Minor: Physical abuse and Emotional abuse

tiana_king's review against another edition

emotional 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? No

4.0

So based on the title and cover I thought this was going to be a high fantasy 😅 Sadly it was not. Despite this it was a fun read. And because I’m a slut I am disappointed it’s not a reverse harem. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Gun violence, Toxic friendship, and Domestic abuse

marissasa's review against another edition

mysterious 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? No

3.5

This mystery book was actually really quick to get through, as the writing was short and snappy to match the fast-paced plot and it kept me interested enough at the end of each chapter to want to just keep reading. However, I feel that I'm not the target audience and couldn't enjoy it as much as if I was (YA, teen girls attracted to egotistical rich white boys) because I found myself not caring about either of the brothers engrossed in the main character's love triangle and actually thought many of the character interactions and dialogue were cringey. I was so over the way the brothers called Avery by her last name or a dumb nickname like "Mystery Girl" and "Heiress", and thought that each of the brothers wasn't really fleshed out more than their initial one-note character traits - the carefree and aloof eldest, the cunning business-minded one, the reckless charmer, and the energetic and goofy youngest brother. Maybe in the following books they will get more development, since this first part is really Avery's story. I was also really annoyed with her sister throughout this whole book and wish Avery had better support than what she was given. I didn't really connect with the entire Emily and Rebecca subplot either and it mostly left me confused more than emotionally connected to the family's struggles. The most interesting parts and the reason I kept reading was all the mystery, riddles, puzzles, and elaborate descriptions and hidden secrets of the Hawthorne House. Although this book could've been better, I can see myself reading the sequels someday to get closure and know what happens after that cliffhanger ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Toxic relationship