Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson

11 reviews

babsi_222's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Kidnapping, Alcoholism, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, Blood, Child death, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, and Police brutality

tangleroot_eli's review

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

I like every part of this book except David; I dislike David so much it almost ruins my enjoyment of everything else in the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Toxic relationship, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Animal death, Mental illness, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Animal cruelty, and Death

Minor: Kidnapping, Body horror, Vomit, and Sexism

falennahrm's review

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Hate crime, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Body horror, Dysphoria, Gore, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Cultural appropriation, Suicide, Stalking, Blood, Bullying, Confinement, Self harm, Suicide attempt, Injury/Injury detail, and Suicidal thoughts

theespressoedition's review against another edition

challenging mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Murder, Alcoholism, and Fire/Fire injury

dylpickles's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Classism, Grief, Kidnapping, Confinement, Death, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

elskabee's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.5

 I really struggled to remember anything that had happened in the first book even though I read it earlier this year so I really could have done with more of a recap of events at the start of this one.

I struggle with my feelings on this book because the first half was very slow and hardly any progress was made at all. Then the second half was actually quite good as we actually start to learn more info and it picks up the pace. Thank God!

I'm intrigued enough to continue the series still, but if it hadn't picked up at that halfway point I was fully ready to DNF it. So I guess it's on thin ice mostly due to pacing issues for me personally.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Confinement

Minor: Cursing, Alcoholism, and Fire/Fire injury

Characters attend an anatomy class where dissection of animal specimens is described

marioosa517's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-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

3.75

Starts off slow, but things pick up about a third of the way in.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Injury/Injury detail

readerette's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.0

I still find myself conflicted about David. He does not bring out good things in Stevie, and he does not make many good choices, even considering he's a teenager. 

I'm having trouble following what's actually remaining to solve the case now, with the flashbacks and Stevie's doubts and the drama with some of the people she knows. I'll read the third book, but this whole story probably should have been a duology if not a standalone novel. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Blood, and Cursing

grimviolins's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Murder, Death, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Police brutality, Grief, and Infidelity

Minor: Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, and Suicide

mayas's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

3.75 stars

Book CWs: murder, kidnapping, blood, animal dissection, anxiety disorder, alcoholism.

This was difficult for me to rate because the first half was slow-paced and I was bored but the second half was so good. I was a bit disappointed by some of the reveals (and also the last page) but I enjoyed the suspense and mystery.

This instalment introduced a few more characters, who were all (to my understanding) white, and the poc were barely relevant to this book. I hope the non-white characters are more present and relevant in the third novel!

I liked how Janelle's skills were used toward the end, though!

Overall, I really enjoyed this (the second half) and I like how Johnson writes her characters; there's a lot of compassion. The friendships are also really lovely.

:)

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Mental illness, and Medical trauma

Minor: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, and Cursing

(Further) Content Warnings: murder; animal dissection; alcoholism