Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

32 reviews

booksandcurlz's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

3.75

The start of this book was slow, I had stopped reading once or twice before I decided that I would try the audiobook which made the experience better. 

I did like Galaxy “Alex” and her flaws made her feel real. Now Darlington felt so self-righteous and entitled he was just impossible to like, I am not sure if this is just how Bardugo writes her heros, but I felt for Darlington the same I felt for Mal on SaB. Trust me a loathe book Mal. Back to the review of this book.

I loved the setting, the dark academia with the secret societies and the magic was fun to listen to at times. I felt so bad for Alex in not having a connection with her late father’s family. 

The mystery - this was probably my favorite part of the book since I love sleuthing in books and solving cases like the one solved in this book. I like that this part of the storyline has resolved by the end of the book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Drug abuse, and Drug use

Moderate: Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

natgoe's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense 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: Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Toxic friendship

veragrom's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

If you start reading this book and you struggle to understand everything withing the first three chapters, I get it. Stick to it, it's worth it. Eventually, there will be more magic; eventually, you will find out more about all the dropped names and societies; eventually you'll get used to the jumping in times and characters. It takes a while to really get into it, but it's absolutely worth it! I think you'll get to like everyone, including Alex. Brilliant work. What I love most about it, is that the magic in this book is believable. I think if magic was a real thing, all the stuff they did in the book and all the problems connected to it would absolutely happen. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Stalking and Gaslighting

queenstaves's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Toxic friendship

The author uses rape, date rape, sexual assault, sexual trauma, etc. in a way that reads as trauma being a character flaw/trait instead of a part of an emotional arc. It is used in a way that reads as "edgy flavor" and not the horrifying things they are. They are used to position the protagonist as an edgy savior. She "gets revenge" for women being date raped by forcing the men to eat shit (literally), and it's used as this "I really showed them!" kind of moment. It is a gross use of the content.

lizzieinmt's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I struggled to figure out what this book was really about, but on reflection I believe it's about the struggle for and abuse of power. And how people are willing to maintain, commit to and sacrafice themselves and others for power, often a power they don't fully understand. This is reappeared for us in the book over and over each time it becomes a larger and higher steaks example. I did enjoy it and it falls comfortably (or rather nice and uncomfortably) into dark academia. I do have a few criticisms that I feel didn't pull their weight in the story, but overall it was a compelling read with a heavy, deep magical feel.

I think the use of rape as a plot point repeatedly through the book did show the misuse of power and illustrate terrible people. But I don't think this was the only way that could have been done and I did feel that even with the big revenge ar "ground zero" she was really trying to make up for rape as a plot point. Like, why is murder and emotional/physical threat and mistreatment not enough? Why throw that in to. Didn't ruin the book but did make me like it less than other dark academia novels for sure

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Mental illness, Violence, Excrement, Vomit, Toxic friendship, and Colonisation

lovestory26's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious sad tense 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: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

orndal's review against another edition

adventurous dark fast-paced

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

2.5

Could have been real great with a better story structure and more world building. Linear storytelling would have helped with upping the stakes.

The ending came out of nowhere with little to no setup for the reveals. As a mystery novel, this is terrible.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Addiction, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Trafficking, Medical trauma, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Cancer, Cursing, Death, Mental illness, Misogyny, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Colonisation, and Classism

uranaishi's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Excrement, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Car accident, and Toxic friendship

scarlettskyes's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

mechacek's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.5

honestly, i didn't like it that much at the beggining, mainly because it resembled one ot these ''the chosen one'' stories. and alex is in some way the chosen one, but throught trauma and very bad events. the moment i got through the first quarter of the book i couldnt put it down and finished the rest in two days. i am, in fact, crying. i need it to continue

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction

Moderate: Death, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Rape, Vomit, and Sexual harassment