Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith

3 reviews

emsavors's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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

5.0

This book is absolutely incredible! I’m not entirely sure that I find the ending believable, but given how good the rest of the book is - I don’t even care!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Cannibalism, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

d_audy's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

A very dark dive into one of the very dark periods of the Soviet Union, loosely inspired by the life of a true Russian serial killer.  The story is relentless and well plotted, the mystery isn't the hardest to puzzle out but it's not the main focus of this psychological thriller that throws a realistic, uncompromising eye on the horrors of WWII and its aftermath in Eastern Europe, and on the paranoia, dehumanization and constant oppression of the last years of the Stalinian regime through the eyes of an officer of the MGB (the precursor of the better known KGB) caught in a spiral of events that may end costing him everything.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Excrement, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Classism

miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense 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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Homophobia, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Cannibalism, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Outing, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and War