Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

18 reviews

caro_las's review

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Sexual content, Medical trauma, Toxic friendship, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Injury/Injury detail, Dementia, and Bullying

badmom's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Adam Silvera’s first novel shows his talent for creating teen characters who are authentic in both their immaturity and depth. This story blends elements of speculative fiction with very real issues that young adults (and grown-ups, though in different ways) face, and it’s done with love + care for all of the characters. Find the edition with Silvera’s follow-up chapter; it shows the growth of not only the main characters but the author as well. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Dementia, Homophobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, and Hate crime

Moderate: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Gun violence, Drug use, Medical content, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Emotional abuse and Pregnancy

delvainy's review

challenging dark 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

3.5

I liked this book a lot when I was 18. As I got towards the end of the novel, though, I was abruptly reminded that I was not a happy person at 18. It’s a very sad book, y’all, which is not the reason I’m rating it pretty low. Some parts of it bothered me, like having a trans guy be misgendered every time he’s mentioned. Of course I am aware that this is all about internalized homophobia, but he was never once referred to as a guy. I also didn’t love the way the main character interacted with Thomas

Spoiler

after being told Thomas was straight.

Otherwise, it was a pretty good book, but it just felt a bit mean? To the reader that is, haha. I did appreciate the deluxe version’s new last chapter, though. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt and Suicide

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Grief, Homophobia, and Hate crime

Minor: Transphobia

Spoiler

He also experiences pretty intense memory loss.

kclikesthings's review

dark reflective medium-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Bullying, Child death, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Fatphobia

Minor: Abandonment

m_riaelle's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.5

First of all, I feel sorry for those who've read this without the new final chapter. Just thinking of myself finishing this book without it, I knew I would have given it one star out of spite. I never wanted (needed) a character to actually have a break from all the shits life is giving him.

Second, as always, I'm here for the sad and intense feelings that I get from Adam Silvera's books, and I'm heartbreakingly satisfied. The twists in his books never failed to shock me.

Third, why not five stars? I would never ever tolerate cheating. I would have let it slide if it was done once due to poor decisions, but it happened for so long and happened again when the characters saw the chance to do so. I know the author tied the loose ends, but I just can't let that go. It does happen in real life, and one of the most things I hated is that.

Fourth, another reason why I didn't give this five stars? It's because I found myself skimming the first few and some middle chapters, which means it didn't give any impact at all. Also, I'm considering what I would've given this without the new final chapter, and for a debut book, this is surprisingly good.

CW: Gun Violence, Drugs, Mention of Armed Robbery, Suicidal Ideation, Grief, Suicide, Death of Parent, Self-harm, Homophobic Slur, Toxic Relationships, Toxic Friendships, Hate Crime, Homophobia, Cheating, Assault, Blood, Depression, Hospitalisation, Physical Abuse, Profanity, Teenage Pregnancy, and Violence (search it up for more specifics or correct CW as mine is what I thought was triggering while I read it)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Homophobia, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Blood, Hate crime, Gun violence, Toxic friendship, Violence, Suicide, Self harm, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse

allyxmoon's review

dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Outing, Dementia, Suicide attempt, Violence, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Biphobia, Mental illness, Medical content, Hate crime, and Dysphoria

sakuraisobsessedwithbooks's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Violence, Homophobia, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Outing, Mental illness, Grief, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Suicide attempt

readwithmo's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Bullying, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, Homophobia, Death of parent, and Self harm

writingcaia's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

It’d probably be 4⭐️ if I had read the first version of this novel which didn’t include the new ending chapter. Like the author I definitely believe Aaron deserved more happy endings, and I’m glad he wrote them. 
Aaron is young adult boy living in a poor Bronx neighbourhood with his mom and brother, trying to find love and friendship and who he is, and to forget his dad’s suicide and his own attempt at the same.
In a world where technology can erase traumas and past pains, people will make choices that will reverberated, in not always a great way, throughout their lives. 
This is a coming of age story with a fantasy twist. 
It was a very touching tale of the need to forget, of the need to remember, of crippling memories, of choices that are not choices at all, and those that are but seem to be taken from us.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Homophobia, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Medical trauma, Suicide, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Abandonment

bendersreads's review against another edition

emotional mysterious reflective sad 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: Grief, Homophobia, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Mental illness

Minor: Toxic friendship and Drug use