Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

12 reviews

moon_peach's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

When you start the novel, A.J. is not likable at all, yes he's grieving but he is also really off putting and pretentious. Once Maya comes into the story i could not put it down  

When we find out her father it is very satisfying.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Car accident, and Suicide attempt

moond4ncer's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Medical content, Car accident, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

efratmaor's review against another edition

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infertility, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Moderate: Cancer, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Suicide, Terminal illness, and Car accident

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

makaylagrace0's review against another edition

lighthearted reflective 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

2.5

A solid quick read, took me 3 days. The book is just like the title suggests, it’s the story of a man named A.J. Fikry’s life. I gave it 2.5 because it’s wasn’t bad, but not really something I would recommend to a friend. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Suicide attempt

graciegru's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Car accident

Minor: Xenophobia and Vomit

leesha_129's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective relaxing sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer

Minor: Suicide and Toxic relationship

ed_w's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing 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

Lovely, quick read. Really enjoyed the characters, zest, and human-ness. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Infidelity, Suicide, Terminal illness, Car accident, and Alcohol

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, Infertility, Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

lauracollins096's review against another edition

emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cancer, Death, Infertility, Infidelity, Suicide, Grief, Car accident, and Abandonment

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Ableism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Vomit, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail

haleiyoung's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense 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

4.25

This was an amazing book! The characters made me feel all kinds of emotions and the setting was so charming. AJ starts out as a brash man, but evolves into a softer version of his opinionated, unsentimental self. There are complicated relationships, second chance love stories in the background and a twist you may or may not see coming. 
Some characters are irredeemable, which this book definitely has in my opinion, but there are characters who make huge mistakes and you can't help but feel for their situation, which this book also has (and just to make it clear, those who are irredeemable are not those I feel for because

screw cheating bastards).
My one critique would be about the number of parentheses and information dumping the author chose to keep in during the first few chapters. As the book progressed the words came much smoother, but in the beginning I felt like I was being bogged with a bunch of need to know information but presented in an ineloquent fashion.

Now here's a part with a spoiler

But I love the adoption trope in this book. Although I HATE when books or movies portray someone dumping their child onto an unwilling party, the way AJ accepts Maya into his home and loves her like he would his own daughter, and then Amelia doing the same when they get married is beautiful. I was adopted, and seeing it portrayed in such a way that sees AJ being seen as the legitimate dad and Amelia as the legitimate mom and not just the "adoptive parents" makes me heart so happy. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Cancer, Death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Suicide, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Minor: Racism and Car accident

Nothing is explained in explicit detail. There is some insinuation to sex, but nothing descriptive. Racism- there is a brief insensitive remark made to the main character and family Miscarriage and infertility- nothing explicit, but talk around it is fairly un-emotive and swept aside toxic relationship- not the main character's relationship, but his sister-in-laws Car accident- nothing graphic, but results in death

katierobertsonshaddix's review against another edition

dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective relaxing sad slow-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cancer, Death, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Medical content, Dementia, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail