Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Exodus by Kate Stewart

44 reviews

theycallmebookish's review

emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

Cecilia annoyed me in the first book and she didn’t get better in this one. I still wanted to shake her and force her into therapy because WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU GIRL!? It’s like when you tell a kid to not touch the stove because it’s hot and they run and touch the stove then are surprised that it’s hot. WHY DO YOU NOT LISTEN CECILIA!? I know Frenchmen are hot but cmon! I was a bit thrown when we jumped in time and was a bit confused and also concerned that Cecilia was still acting like a 19 year old but pretending to be an adult. Also, can we just have one relationship between same aged people? All of the relationships in this book have over like a 10 year age gap and the relationships start at 18-19. Maybe it’s because of what I do for a living but that just bothers me a bit. 

But the spice was spicing 🌶️

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, Sexual violence, Gun violence, Death of parent, Blood, Cancer, and Emotional abuse

savvyrosereads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.5

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Once again, if you want to know what these books are about you’re going to need to find someone else to tell you, because I have no idea.

If you read my FLOCK review recently, you know that I had decidedly mixed feelings about that book, but decided to continue with the series. I’m glad I did, because I definitely liked EXODUS a lot more…but at the same time I still struggled with big chunks of it. Mostly, I felt like it made the first book feel almost obsolete in ways that didn’t really make sense, and once again the characters (ESPECIALLY Cecelia) drove me crazy with some of their poor decisionmaking.

That said, there were definitely some moments in here I really enjoyed and found charming/memorable. In short, after reading this I can say that I understand why this series has hooked some people the way it did! I’m not one of those people, but I have been entertained, and I will be finishing the series.

CW: gun violence/violence; blood/injury/death/murder; death of parent

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence

bookishspy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.0

This hurt. Like, wow, I think I spent like half the book crying

I didn't expect that, honestly. I was having so much fun with the characters and the relationship blossoming and them bam... tears. 

Don't think a book has ever made me cry that much. My heart broke for her. 

I have to say, though, the toxicity of the people in this book is astounding to me, like they can't think for themselves at all for some reason? But overall, I can't say I didn't love this whole story

I was a little disappointed in the way it played out with Sean, and obviously, I'm sad about Dom.. but that ending was.. not enough grovelling tbh

Also, I don't think I want to read the last book. It seems unnecessary at this point? Maybe I will one day, but for now, I'm content leaving it here

➛ 𝟒 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Blood, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, and Violence

Moderate: Terminal illness

thechaoticreader_'s review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

the ravenhood series have ruined all books for me. i’ll never recover from this. 8 out of 10 times, i’m mostly invested in plots when i read but fuckkk. i’m far too deeply emotionally invested with the ravenhood. i’d read this series for the first time over & over again if i could just to experience the whirlwind of emotions it put me through. while exodus is what we all wanted in the end.. i don’t know maybe i should just leave it at that but am i ready to let go of the story & characters yet?

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual content, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, and Grief

Minor: Death, Gun violence, and Death of parent

lovelymisanthrope's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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? Yes

2.0

I picked this up because I read "Flock" last year, and I just could not get it off of my mind recently.
"Exodus" is the second book in The Ravenhood trilogy. Cecilia is trying to move on without Sean and Dominic, but she feels like she is drowning. Everything is only made worse by the annoying presence of her enemy, the Frenchman. Can she make it these last few months so she can get her inheritance and get out of Triple Falls?
I was very disappointed with the turn this story took. Cecilia was so "in love" with Sean and Dominic, but after a few months she starts hooking up the man known only as the Frenchman, Tobias. I know Sean and Dominic just up and left her, but I feel like she could have held out a little bit longer. And, why did she have to hook up with Tobias? I feel like it was just that he was in close proximity.
Dominic's plotline was devastating.
I am honestly kind of mad, and I do not know if I want to see what happens next. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Murder, Death of parent, Abandonment, Death, Violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, and Sexual content

Moderate: Terminal illness

eliserobinsonn__'s review

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Sexual content

Moderate: Gun violence, Classism, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexism

katharina90's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

The main character remains a petulant, melodramatic child and is still somehow the love of every male character's life. And the more toxic the men, the harder she loves them back. 

I don't get it?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Violence, and Grief

zc2's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.75

Listen the plot was good, great even but it put me in a 20 day reading slump simply because of how slow everything was. And once you read the main plot point 👀😭… all the timeline does is jump tremendously. Also it was just confusing to keep up with everything and who everyone was. Tobias really just crawled all over my nerves 🙄 like give me a break. I just wasn’t really entertained I guess. I much preferred the first book despite all the lingering secrets.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Cancer, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, War, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, and Vomit

tiana_king's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.5

Despite her being 6 years older she spent most of the book being a whinny child. I get that she experienced something traumatic and then was cut off from everyone but lord she should’ve seen a therapist. Instead she self sabotaged at every opportunity. I’m confused on the back slide in quality this book had compared to the first. But I’m gonna read the last book anyway. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Death, Abandonment, Classism, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Sexual content

Moderate: Child abuse, Violence, and Drug use

Minor: Stalking and Death of parent

bixmer613's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Blood, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Minor: Cursing, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol