Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

19 reviews

helenacampos16's review against another edition

dark 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? It's complicated

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Pedophilia, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, and Pandemic/Epidemic

pearlisarobot's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

backyardjake's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Speculative fiction bundled with a very sad character study. Parental issues, relationship issues, confidence issues, and then existential issues. Jimmy has a lot of issues. Not for the feignt of heart, as I suppose most of Atwood's work is like. Inside is a very human and flawed tale, of the kind that revolted, resonated, sadend, and thrilled me as a reader.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, War, and Classism

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Animal cruelty, Drug use, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship

cait's review against another edition

challenging mysterious 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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Ableism, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

hannahbailey's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

Unsure how to feel on this one. Atwood is such a good writer that I was pulled into the narrative and the world she'd built despite my immediate dislike for the protagonist. There are some interesting themes with a lot of 'what ifs' but my god, this was so bleak and depressing. Glad I made it to the end to see a bit of hope but it was quite the trudge and not at all what I was expecting!

Very reminiscent of 1984 and A Clockwork Orange in terms of its violence, intensity and reflections on the darker side of humanity. Fans of these novels (I was not a fan of either one) will almost definitely enjoy Oryx and Crake.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail

thedinosaurkid's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Great book.
If you don't like exposition I would not reccomend this to you. Over half of the book is spent remembering the past, but in the context of the world and situation it makes sense. 
Jimmy/Snowman is a fairly accurate depiction of a dude and how a dudes mind works. Oryx and Crake are fleshed out very well and Snowman's memories are played out well. The most interesting part to me is the way that Oryx and Crake have been deity-ifed (not a word but you get my point) by Snowman and The Children of Crake. 
The symbolism is very interesting. 
The ending is ambiguous, on purpose, and gives very vague answers. It's of course frustrating to not have that satisfying ending that answers all your questions but that is the point of the book. The future remains uncertain.
Overall a good book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Excrement, Trafficking, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

lauragarabedian's review against another edition

slow-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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Pedophilia, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Medical content, Trafficking, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

cepbreed's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-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

3.5

“After everything that's happened, how can the world still be so beautiful? Because it is.”

All in all this story is confusing, the plot interweaving past and present in undefined ways and beginning entirely with loose ends. By the end of the book things start to come together, the apocalyptic event, the history of Jimmy and Oryx, the longer history of Jimmy and Crake and how he became involved with the Crakers. It's satisfying to finally rid yourself of the fog, but still, much is unclear. The plot builds at a slow hum, so there aren't many moments shocking and quick enough to make me gasp besides

the way Jimmy ends Crake's life. Crake became something entirely different to what I imagined, Jimmy too, I never believed that could've been possible.

The last page, the last few lines even were so amazing, so artfully done. 

I had to go back to find those quotes to fully understand it, yet I'm still confused. I understand using a quote from his mother, but the quote from a work acquaintance? I get it's a display of Crake's manipulation (he always has a plan), but it would've been cooler to see a quote of his from when he was younger to show how much that connection means to him.

The commentary made here is worthwhile and definitely inline with Atwood's reputation, I wish I had introduced myself to her earlier. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Genocide, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, and Classism

Minor: Infertility, Infidelity, and Toxic friendship

jeannine6's review against another edition

dark emotional sad slow-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: Death, Pedophilia, and Trafficking

Moderate: Toxic friendship