Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

21 reviews

zulmiro's review against another edition

dark sad tense 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Racism, Police brutality, and Stalking

cristinareading's review against another edition

mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Sexual violence

meat_muffin's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

3.0

Absolutely INFURIATING, I hate all of them

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Sexism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, Medical content, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury

add_a_little_spook's review against another edition

dark funny 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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Infidelity

gwenswoons's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

tiddlerrr's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective 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

4.25

Very interesting, and an incredible depiction of how complicated familial (particularly sisterly) relationships can be. The narrator is simultaneously fiercely protective and adores her younger sister but seems to hold a lot of contempt and resentment for her and struggles with holding both of those things within herself. I also loved Korede’s friendship with Muhtar!

Not the sort of book I expected it to be when I first picked it up but I was pleasantly surprised by it! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Minor: Toxic friendship

te_ss_i's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism

izzybell's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Classism

fraise's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Sexism, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Medical content, and Grief

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Drug use, Alcohol, and Classism

particledamage's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective fast-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

2.5

I've seen this book described as biting satire but while it was abundant in commentary--on colorism and beauty standards, on misogyny, on codependency and the construction of the family unit, on wealth--it feels more like "satire" here just means "Everyone is one-dimensional to make a point" rather than anything more biting, nuanced, or funny.

The book goes at a break neck pace but only because of its short chapters and time jumps, not because anything meaningful actually happens or changes. You see everything coming; it's easy to see that that may be intentional but ultimately that changes nothing, you still want to just skip ahead to have it confirmed. There is little to be lost if your eyes glaze over waiting for confirmation rather than taking in what little story this book has to offer.

That said, this book is oozing with potential. The sisterly relationship--and sometimes lack thereof--is compelling and I would have loved to seen it explored more with two fully realized characters. The idea of them both ultimately being their sister's keeper is interesting but when the story is so rote, you never see the boundaries of that relationship tested in any meaningful way. The high takes of this story and their relationship feels much like jumping out of a third story window except you're wearing a safety harness and a bungee rope, knowing you'll never hit the ground.

I think if this book committed more to being a short story, I could forgive its shallowness and lack of peak a bit more. But instead this book half-commits to being a full story and loses its steam halfway through, overextending itself with details that don't add much to the moral questions its asking (and sometimes answering). 

Still, the premise alone is so refreshing and new I can't resent it for not reaching the highs I wanted it to.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Death, Pedophilia, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Death of parent, and Classism