Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Weight of Blood by Tiffany D. Jackson

20 reviews

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Gore, Gun violence, Racial slurs, Mental illness, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Alcohol, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Racism, Car accident, Child abuse, Colonisation, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Violence, Sexual content, and Vomit

caseymac's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Classism, Blood, Racism, Death, Cultural appropriation, Xenophobia, Toxic friendship, Hate crime, Gore, Vomit, Gaslighting, Police brutality, Medical content, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, and Body horror

Moderate: Racial slurs, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship

tashtash93's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Blood, Racism, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Cultural appropriation, Toxic relationship, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Death, Bullying, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Fire/Fire injury, and Hate crime

readswithcat's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, Racism, Bullying, Violence, Religious bigotry, Child abuse, Blood, Toxic relationship, Classism, Medical trauma, Police brutality, Emotional abuse, Cultural appropriation, and Confinement

Moderate: Gore, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Animal death

bites_of_books's review against another edition

challenging 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? It's complicated

5.0

This was a fantastic book that delves into social horror. This is really about what fear can do to people who feel like things are getting out of their control. We follow Maddie, a young girl who passes as white and is suddenly found out to be Black. This starts a series of events that start with Maddie finding out she has the power to move things with her mind and end with a tragic prom night to top it all, many years later, a true crime podcast that's trying to find out what "really happened" that night. 

The supernatural aspect of this book was done so well, it doesn't overpower our main character and also gives us a lot of intrigue as to what really is happening with her powers. This has been described as a Carrie retelling and I feel like it keeps the spirit of Carrie while Jackson gives it her own twists and style. 

I listened to the audiobook, which was awesome because it has a whole production with almost a full cast, and really helped immerse me in the story. 

This is a very difficult book to read because there is a lot of outright racism, bigotry, mysoginy, etc etc. Do take care when reading, check for all content warnings! 

I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys horror that focuses more on the horror that humans are capable of and also if you want characters who are multidimensional and who go beyond what you expect from them. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Gore, Body horror, Bullying, Grief, Gun violence, Blood, Murder, Child abuse, Classism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Cultural appropriation, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Police brutality, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Sexism, Toxic friendship, and Violence

natnat_7's review against another edition

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Racial slurs, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Suicide, Car accident, Ableism, Child abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Violence, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Domestic abuse, Bullying, Genocide, Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Sexism, and Vomit

mamawantsbooks's review

dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Suicide, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Police brutality, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Body horror, Bullying, Gun violence, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Blood

Moderate: Animal death and Vomit

yellow_ylugbug's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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: Racism, Gore, Child death, Bullying, Blood, Body horror, Physical abuse, Child abuse, and Murder

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Racial slurs, Abandonment, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Police brutality, and Toxic relationship

cmckayo's review

dark emotional reflective sad tense fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Grief, Racial slurs, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Police brutality, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Classism, Misogyny, Racism, Religious bigotry, Toxic friendship, Violence, Bullying, Death, Hate crime, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship

aformeracceleratedreader's review

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

I freakin loved this! Loved the discourse of being multi-racial. I'm mixed myself and always love seeing/reading stories about mixed identities and the struggles that come with it as most people romanticize/fetishize mixed race identities. Loved the discourse on race relations in modern day as well because people like to believe that there isn't the same racism today as in the past, but many small towns still do have overt racism, not just covert racism, and act like it's nothing. 
My heart goes out to Maddy in so many ways. I can't begin to imagine the hurt and difficulties her character had to face.
I wish some characters were spared from death

Spoiler

like Mrs Morgan who seemed like the only teacher who gave a shit about the racism happening

. And I wish

Spoiler

Jules had died. That girl was vile through and through and lied even after losing her arm, her college acceptance, her best friend. F that bitch. Didn't acknowledge any of her wrongdoings to Maddy or any of the other black kids. She is irredeemable

. I liked that the podcast host was put on the spot by his guest host about how he framed his show and how he ignored how insidious racism is and how it could've driven Maddy to do what she did. The ending is quite open, and I'm going to believe Maddy was able to find who she needed to find and could finally live a life she wanted.
There are heavy topics in here so read content/trigger warnings.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Hate crime, Confinement, Toxic friendship, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Car accident, Racism, Violence, Vomit, Dysphoria, and Grief