Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Mad Honey by Jennifer Finney Boylan, Jodi Picoult

43 reviews

goodin10tions's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Mad Honey is it's own story but I feel like if you are a fan of Saving Jacob, Middlesex,  or The Lovely Bones you will love it. The journey of all the characters is haunting and melancholy. Sensitive readers should research the content because there are many possible triggers.
This is a long story (15 hrs) but it goes by really fast. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Murder, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Suicide attempt, Bullying, and Homophobia

Moderate: Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Grief, Outing, Toxic friendship, and Suicidal thoughts

musicalpopcorn's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad fast-paced

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

3.5

When her son’s girlfriend is found dead, Olivia becomes the mother of an accused murderer and she begins to question how she got to where she is.

This book was written in captivating language. It talked about difficult topics in a way that was easy to understand and not too preachy.

I did figure out the ending almost immediately though, which is why I’m not giving it four stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Emotional abuse, Outing, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Grief, Deadnaming, Sexual content, and Physical abuse

amesnotamy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Medical trauma, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Sexual assault, Hate crime, Body shaming, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Misogyny, Outing, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, and Violence

cwalden's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This was incredibly emotional, and covers a lot of important insights into the trans experience. Rating is just for the ending and parallel murder mystery storyline. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Murder, Transphobia, Child death, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, and Grief

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Outing

jamiee_f's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

Loved this book. All the best parts of Jodi Picoult novels, legal drama, murder mystery, intrigue, social drama, plus the beautiful narrative with the bees. Picoult is excellent at writing high school drama and capturing all of the ensuing complicated relationships, and the story of Lily is so tragic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, Toxic friendship, Murder, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse

lidia7's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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? It's complicated

read it in one sitting, cried a couple of times.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Transphobia, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Child abuse, Grief, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Abortion, Cancer, Murder, Medical content, Death of parent, Blood, Alcohol, Animal death, Outing, Violence, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, and Cursing

jada_ann_12's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

4.25

I really enjoyed this book. As most of Jodi Picoult’s stories, I felt that it was very well thought out and told. Whenever a character would speak about a passion they had, they had all the facts. I felt like these characters were real and had real passions and traits. I kept thinking that there was no way Olivia isn’t real because of how thought out her passion for Bee’s was. Or Lily with how well versed she was in every fact she would bring to the table. Her character was so well rounded. I enjoyed the point of views, the intensity, the romance, the sorrow, and the characters themselves. I liked seeing Jordan again and being able to see him take on a personal matter. Olivia’s character was so deep and struggled with her battle between her heart and mind. Lily and Asher had my heart and I was absolutely heartbroken at the tragedy that happened. I wish I had his point of view too. I read this book whenever I could and was never bored. I really enjoyed it and can’t wait for another installment. 

Now here’s why the story is not a 5 star. 

starting off, i wanted to see more of an aftermath from Braden. I feel like we were left on a cliffhanger there with how he reacted and made Olivia pay for the court situation. Second, I sort of struggled with the way Lily’s POV’s were structured. Because they went from present to past, I had a hard time remembering a timeline. Maybe it’s because I’m not used to it and i still enjoyed the story itself, but I found myself forgetting small details or forgetting how small things played out. I think I would’ve been more immersed if the scene of Lily hearing the knocking happened and then it flew back to the past and proceeded forward. However, I do appreciate how the chapters would hint to something haunting of the past then the next time we’d get her POV we would learn about it like her haunting memories of the fencing match with Asher’s jealous side. The last reason why this book didn’t get a 5 star is because I felt a lacking with the plot twist at the end. Though it was crazy and I was stunned and freaking out, I felt like the tying it up part was loose. I didn’t like how Maya didn’t get in trouble, how we didn’t get to see more of a reaction from the characters because of all they went through. It felt clipped and unrealistic sort of which was out of place for a story that was so real and deep. I sort of saw it coming the whole time but that didn’t take away from my experience. I just wanted her to get some consequences. And I sort of wish we got that truth part from Lily, not Maya. I felt sort of robbed. <Spoiler>

Wither way, I really enjoyed this book and I’m excited for future novels!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Blood, Bullying, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Self harm, Violence, Death, Gore, Outing, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Grief, and Hate crime

annabelreadsandwrites's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious reflective sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Transphobia, Suicidal thoughts, Sexism, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Death, Deadnaming, Violence, Toxic relationship, Outing, Hate crime, Dysphoria, Murder, Misogyny, Medical content, Gaslighting, and Child abuse

Moderate: Bullying, Hate crime, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Deadnaming, Dysphoria, Sexual content, Cursing, Torture, Blood, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Mass/school shootings, Stalking, and Car accident

crazycactus12321's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

2.5

This is a really graphic book that depicts trans violence. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Mental illness, Transphobia, Domestic abuse, Child death, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide

ellaticonstellation's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted mysterious reflective relaxing sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

This story broke me. The domestic violence, death, trial, and crime left me on the edge of my seat. I loved that the narrators were Olivia (Asher's mom) and Lily (the girlfriend) both women. The whole crime ordeal was tense and compelling. And this happens in real life; I bet it's super stressful and scary, especially for the parties involved. 

I truly believe a person's upbringing makes a part of a person. Meaning, as time went we decide for ourselves, and through that decision-making, we learn. What I'm saying is that we make what we are as people. Yeah, we can blame others for breaking us, but if we didn't pick up the pieces after that, we suffer so much and we won't survive. That's why I salute Olivia and Ava as mothers because they care about their kids whoever they may be. They both made sure that they were safe and away from people who constantly break them. That's not easy to do. I don't know transgender people irl, but it must not be easy to be trapped in a body that you don't see yourself in. Lily is a brave soul for knowing who she is and what she wants at an early age. 

I love the story structure of this. Liv and Lily told the story both in the past, but Liv's in the future style. If that even made sense. The story is gripping and fast-paced even though it's long. I didn't get bored even for a second.

Oh! The honey stuff and the fact that Liv called her queen bees pop divas names made me smile. This is my second book from Jodi and my first from Jenny, I'll read more. Oh, and it was so cool that this story was based on Jenny's epic dream. Overall, a great read❤️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Deadnaming, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Toxic friendship