Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Sarmaşık by Chana Porter

4 reviews

basementeyes's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

So incredibly written, so insightful. I nearly cried at the end which is not an easy feat with me! Loved it loved it loved it. It hit me in all the right spots. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Blood and Alcohol

radtj's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Racism, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

rorikae's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring 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

4.5

'The Seep' by Chana Porter is a deeply human story about a woman dealing with loss and an alien invasion. 
When the Seep first arrives, humanity is terrified by its alien presence but the Seep seeks to calm humanity's fears and problems. This includes allowing humanity to transform beyond its expectations and take on new forms. Trina finds that the possibilities of the Seep do not solve her own search for meaning and experience but she is still enjoying life with her wife, Deeba. But then Deeba throws her life into turmoil when she informs Trina that she wants to revert back into a baby and lead a completely new life. Reeling from loss and seeking meaning, Trina will have to venture out to discover what she values and where she wants to go next in her life. 
Porter has created such a deeply human story told with a sci-fi flair. This is a deeply strange book as the things that the Seep allows humanity to do makes the world far more surrealist than I was expecting. But at its core, it is a story about grief, loss, and what we do with our life. There are a number of incredible quotes and a deeply human core. It's hard to explain but I highly recommend it as long as you are open to a little (or a lot of) weirdness. I will definitely be picking up more books by Porter as she clearly has a way with storytelling and tapping into emotions. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Transphobia

gcjay1994's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

You ever read one of those books that you make you think, "What the hell did I just read?" Yeah, this is one of those – but in the best possible way. Even after reading the description I had no idea what to expect. This book made me all sorts of uncomfortable, but in a way that was enjoyable...? This is a very gritty, dark and bizarre look at what it means to be human. I highly recommend any sci-fi reader pick up this up!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship