Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith

4 reviews

iris_lrf's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

4.75

This is probably at least the fifth time I've read this book, and every time has been a delight from start to finish. Hackwith's beautiful style and well-rounded characters create an emotional roller coaster of love, heartbreak, redemption and family. Even with only two actual humans, all of the protagonists feel uniquely human in their own distinct ways, and it's impossible not to fall in love with the cranky old librarian or her anxious upstart assistants. 

Like any good story about stories, The Library of the Unwritten plays with the concept of the roles we play, both by choice and by force, and what happens when those roles no longer suit us. Villains become heroes, sidekicks become leaders, guardians become caretakers. The stories we tell change, and those we lock away are brought back into the light. 

It's not without its flaws, but what book isn't? Sure, there's some plot armour moments, but surely they're counteracted by

Leto literally being unmade or Hero getting frequently beaten within an inch of his life

. Sure, the ending is a little lacking, but with two more books to go, it isn't really the ending, is it?

I recently got the rest of the trilogy and I'm excited to see where the story goes from here. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Religious bigotry, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Self harm, Kidnapping, and War

margaret_k30's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Suicide, Violence, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Bullying, Mental illness, Self harm, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

angelbabe_cj's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense slow-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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death and Suicide

Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Grief, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship

thereadinghammock's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.75

Another book club pick. The story was engaging, the characters were multi-dimensional and diverse, the world building was fantastic, but I kept finding myself distracted when I went to pick up the book. Maybe it's because I have been reading shorter books lately, or because I've been in a romance novel reading hole, but I didn't find myself wanting to carve out time to read this book at every opportunity. It was good, I'm glad to have read it, but I don't think I'll actively pursue the subsequent sequels, if I'm being completely honest.

I loved the characters--Claire, Brevity, Leto, even salty Hero and shady AF Andras. They were all written so well and I loved the interactions and banter among them all throughout the story.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Grief

Minor: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Religious bigotry, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship