Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Nothing Burns as Bright as You by Ashley Woodfolk

22 reviews

sofiematthe's review against another edition

dark emotional fast-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

We didn't "let" this happen.
We did it on purpose. With purpose.
We were making a statement.
We were making a point.
And even when it's right in front of them,
they're missing it:
our lives
are on fire
and
no one
fucking
cares.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

joisaddler's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic relationship

stardustandrockets's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Drug use, Alcohol, Racism, and Bullying

Minor: Sexual content, Blood, Sexual harassment, Biphobia, and Panic attacks/disorders

jessereadsthings's review against another edition

emotional sad

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Slow to start, but I ended up really loving this book. It was very lyrical and poetic in a way that took a second to get used to, but after that I found the prose very beautiful. It was also a really heartbreaking book and by the end I found the story to be overwhelmingly sad yet a wonderful story about the close line between friendship and romance in two young girls relationship.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship

bash5617's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Racism, Body shaming, Bullying, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship

lolajh's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad 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

So much angstier than my usual reads; focuses on a quite toxic and realistic relationship that is just full of heartbreak and unhappiness and not like the usual romcoms I tend to go for. This book is also written in a lettered poetry verse format addressed from one of the main characters to the other, never once saying either of their names, a fascinating stylistic choice by the author I quite like. I felt like I was very much in the head and situation of the main character writing in first person (and second person too I guess), every line written in verse so beautiful and so much more personal when it’s written by the characters themselves. There are also time skips in this book, jumping from the present to the past that all comes together at the end to explain “the fire” event titling one timeline’s chapters. The fact that the author was able to tell a story that could be recounted through solely verse, plus skipping through events in time, was incredible and so fascinating how similar it was to a story told in first person but so different at the same time because of this lettered structure that is the main character addressing her love interest, and makes what is being written so much more personal and raw than it would’ve been if it had of been written in any other way.

And the story. So incredibly heartbreaking and something that is so real and relatable to a large majority of relationships that don’t always go perfectly and showing the bumps along the way and heartbreaks and acceptance that when you aren’t getting something you want and deserve, to understand you deserve better and to move on in order to be okay with yourself independently from a relationship and knowing your worth. Such a beautiful piece and so different to anything I’ve ever read before.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Racism, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Police brutality, and Religious bigotry

amandalorianxo's review against another edition

emotional fast-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

3.5

For those that are familiar with relationships that discuss toxic friendships/relationships when the characters are in high school, paired with poetic metaphors and similes, this is right up your alley. The way Woodfolk uses language in a pretty, atmospheric way isn't quite original but it does make the severity of the way one person is codependent on the other feel less severe than it actually is. I do think Woodfolk is one of the upcoming authors for this generation that can be compared to Ellen Hopkins and a few others that come to mind when writing about teens & their troubles but in verse form. I just wish there had been more solidifying descriptions or more of a plot instead of just... guessing the vibe? 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Sexual content

hbrown00's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship

Minor: Drug use and Alcohol

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

An emotional novel in verse about first love, friendship, and the possibility of losing that love. There are some absolutely gorgeous lines in this book. Woodfolk definitely gets to the core of the emotions of the main characters, and they are emotions that some teens will relate to. Love can feel so devastating at that age, and Woodfolk absolutley captures that.

At times, the jumping between timelines does get a little confusing, especially since none of the characters are named. Despite this, you still get fully developed characters, and even some of the side characters. Once you start it, it will be difficult to put down.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Racism, Alcohol, and Drug use

Minor: Biphobia, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders

changreads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, and Drug use

Minor: Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, and Biphobia

Drowning, Attempted Kidnapping referenced