Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

15 reviews

amandas_bookshelf's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Outing, Slavery, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Bullying, Colonisation, Cursing, Grief, Homophobia, Misogyny, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Classism, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Islamophobia, Racism, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Domestic abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Violence, Transphobia, and Xenophobia

Minor: Infertility

lynxpardinus's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Racism, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Hate crime, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Medical content, Violence, Xenophobia, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Grief, Infidelity, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Rape, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Transphobia

Moderate: Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Ableism, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Torture, Incest, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Islamophobia, Addiction, Body shaming, Colonisation, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Vomit, War, and Xenophobia

Minor: Antisemitism, Miscarriage, Animal death, Pandemic/Epidemic, Cancer, Confinement, Dementia, and Forced institutionalization

Incest warning is just in case, for an affair between in-laws.

megb64's review against another edition

challenging emotional 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Sexism, Death, Lesbophobia, Pregnancy, Classism, Racism, Rape, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Dysphoria, and Grief

zara89's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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: Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Racism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Chronic illness, Infertility, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Lesbophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Terminal illness, Classism, Death, Body shaming, Child death, Grief, Racism, Violence, Bullying, Abandonment, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexism, Child abuse, and Death of parent

Minor: Cancer and Drug use

mirandawerts's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

An amazing book crossing families and generations through black woman and queer experiences. Not only was each individual story incredible, but it was also a really interesting exploration of radical ideas/wokeness as they change with different experiences in each generation that I found incredibly interesting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, and Racism

Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt

thedisabledreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Colonisation, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, Incest, Islamophobia, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Ableism, Alcohol, Child abuse, Classism, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Xenophobia, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, and Suicidal thoughts

maiahhtratchh's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective slow-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

3.25

I loved the characters and, even when I didn’t necessarily love them, I felt like I could understand them better. I found the pacing of the book, and how disjointed it was (stylistic choice not a writing error), was difficult for me to get into for long periods. It was very ebb and flow interest. I basically had a hard time getting into each new character but as soon as I was in it it would switch to someone else. It was a good book, it just wasn’t necessarily my favourite. I have listed A LOT of trigger warnings, however, it being a social commentary, they are used to explore the nuances and intersectionality between race, class, sexuality, and gender and do not overpower the commentary. However, I LOVED the ending and epilogue. It was so emotional and that was probably my favourite storyline.

Spoiler

it also answered my main question of how Penelope fit into the story, beyond working with Shirley. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Colonisation, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Toxic friendship, Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, and Deadnaming

Moderate: Miscarriage, Child abuse, and Child death

Minor: Cancer

Child sexual abuse, adoption trauma

orlagal's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Body shaming, Child death, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Infertility, Infidelity, Lesbophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Outing, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic friendship, Transphobia, Xenophobia, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Dysphoria, Homophobia, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Toxic relationship

anapthine's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny 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

4.75

Really enjoyed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Colonisation, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Misogyny, Infertility, Hate crime, Grief, Death, Lesbophobia, Xenophobia, Child death, Sexism, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, Violence, Rape, Racism, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Bullying, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Mental illness, and Infidelity

Moderate: Slavery, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Cursing, Violence, and Drug abuse

Minor: Addiction, Biphobia, Blood, Murder, Alcohol, and Alcoholism

miarose_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective relaxing medium-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

4.75

Wonderful. Interconnected. Whirlwind. 

A dozen interconnected stories thoughtfully played out across only 464 pages.  I really enjoyed Evaristo's fluid experimental style, it felt very natural, with no disruptions despite being so unconventional. 
I read a hard copy of the book and listened to the audiobook narrated by Anna-Maria Nabirye (who was fabulous). This helped hugely with keeping up with the fluidity of the prose and would recommend doing this if you're unsure about this aspect of the book. Overall it was a tender, honest, whirlwind that speaks to the spectrum of black British identity, sexuality, intergenerational struggles and how the character's relationships with themselves, their world and the people in it grow apart and reconnect.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Racism, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Transphobia, and Islamophobia