Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? by Crystal Smith Paul

4 reviews

abicaro17's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. Its just kinda meh. The story itself is cool! Kitty is a black woman passing as white and paving her way in Hollywood as a white woman. Shes inspiring and clearly talented but unfortunately her character development later in the book falls flat. The whole end of the book feels rushed compared to the intricate stories about how Kitty made it in Hollywood. I think it would benefit from like 100 more pages of either present day Elise content or Kitty with Elise from her pov. They just seem very disconnected for a close relationship.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Police brutality, Abandonment, Alcohol, Cancer, Death, Hate crime, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Medical content, Violence, Body shaming, Classism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Blood, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Rape, Sexism, Slavery, and Vomit

hjb_128's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Rape, Racism, Violence, Toxic relationship, and Death

Moderate: Abortion, Addiction, Alcoholism, and Slavery

lipliplip's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

3.0

I liked reading this overall and there are important topics discussed throughout and through an interesting now and then lens. I echo other reviewers thoughts that it is reminiscent of Evelyn Hugo but that the book could have been a bit more concise, especially when it came to characters included and their ultimate importance to the story - I often found myself having to go back and reread earlier parts in order to understand what was going on due to that and some confusing writing. This has not turned me off from this author though as liked the plot as a whole and could see what she had envisioned for the book.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy, Rape, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Grief, Sexism, Sexual assault, Slavery, and Toxic friendship

literaryintersections's review against another edition

emotional informative 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? Yes

4.0

I absolutely loved the flashbacks in this book - Kitty, Mary, Hazel, all of it was so good. The present day with the sisters was a little more blah and could’ve used a good editor. 

Most of the twists I figured out immediately from the beginning. Some I figured out only a few chapters before. I enjoyed this overall. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence and Racism

Moderate: Rape, Toxic relationship, and Sexual assault