Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Long Bright River by Liz Moore

21 reviews

ekmook's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Abandonment

ohhthehorrors's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Sexism and Sexual assault

terriep's review against another edition

challenging dark hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This story of 2 sisters as they move in and out of each other's lives is gritty, slightly dark, and a bit of an emotional ride as all the heartbreak of addiction is covered. Though it got off to a bit of a slow start for me, at about 1/3 in, I was ALL in - the characters, particularly the main character of Mickey as I learned more about her. Great character development, a few twists (one I did NOT see coming), kept the pages turning quickly. Ostensibly a mystery (young women being killed in a community), that plot really takes a back seat to the tragedy of drug addiction and the fallout from that lifestyle. Definitely recommended.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

Minor: Pregnancy

nicolejlevy's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, and Murder

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Grief, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Gaslighting

erikagibson126's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Drug use, Police brutality, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Cursing, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Dementia, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol

teacupsandfirereads's review against another edition

hopeful mysterious 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Murder

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Police brutality

thebibliotourist's review against another edition

emotional reflective slow-paced

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

2.5

Too much family drama. Not enough mystery. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Toxic relationship

alexhaydon's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Pregnancy

tiltedwhirled's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Death of parent

Moderate: Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Murder

jsoakes's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

2.25

This is a story that could have been great. All the stuff about living with and overcoming addiction (or not) was really interesting. The familial interactions felt realistic and were engaging, especially the relationship of the sisters. But all the cop stuff was just..... Really bad? 

Also, this could just be a personal gripe, but I really hate it when a character insists that she isn't dumb using her excellence in schooling as proof and then proceeds to be absolutely idiotic in every situation possible. 

I also realize that there are tons of issues with abuse of power in the police force, but this representation felt weak. It felt like the author was trying to make a point about corruption, but at the same time was sort of copping out with her chosen villains (which were painfully obvious from the very beginning).

It's easy to see a literal serial killer as evil, but literal serial killers are not very common in the real world where police brutality and abuse actually occurs. This book obviously touches on that with the members of the force protecting each other and not taking claims against them seriously, but it also goes too far and pushes it away from reality. This could have been so much more satisfying if the story was just about a cop coercing sex from vulnerable women and actually getting caught.

There was one twist I didn't anticipate that was well done

(I did not guess that Thomas was Kacey's son)

, but there were a few that were..... Just dumb.

The killer OBVIOUSLY wasn't Truman, and it was so obviously Laherty from the very first page. Clear was very obviously a creepy grooming asshole and their father was very obviously alive. I felt like all of these were supposed to be shocking twists that just did not land.

It wasn't a bad story, I just think it could have been great if the protagonist wasn't so bad at her job and actually made a few good decisions, or if "the bad guys" were fleshed out a bit more...

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Death of parent, and Murder