Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

11 reviews

e_l_k's review against another edition

emotional tense fast-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

4.75

It's been a while since I've had a chance to devour a good YA novel, and I honestly can't believe this is considered YA! Shusterman brilliantly balances the breakneck plot with the dual-perspective characters, giving ample time for development while still finding space to explore the philosophical questions at the core of this highly original story. I'd say my only complaint is with the last few chapters: some events that were building up happened so quickly that they almost felt anticlimactic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Death, Suicide, Blood, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse

aprilb_reads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Toxic friendship and Classism

ladycranstonkc's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

charmainslibrary's review against another edition

dark reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Suicide, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Blood, and Medical trauma

Minor: Child death and Torture

leof555's review against another edition

adventurous challenging funny mysterious reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship

earthie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I liked this book a lot, but found the way that it ended to be a bit empty. The premise is so good, but it felt like the ending was doomed to be akin to The Hunger Games at best.

However, starting the book knowing there are sequels brought the book down a notch for me as it seems to be a common trend of Schusterman - great and unique dystopian universes ending up being dragged on past their expiration dates (pun intended).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Religious bigotry, and Suicide attempt

robin_leeann's review against another edition

dark funny reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

nicnevin's review against another edition

dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Picked this up because death is sexy. 

This has challenged me greatly because I don't really know what to say. There are parts I like and some I don't. I couldn't care less about the romance and yet it is stitched together as vital to the plot. The world building is interesting but kinda vague and I want to discuss that a lot but I don't think this is the right place. It places a weird emphasis on race, like everyone really cares about their 23&Me results. 

I guess I want to read the rest, mostly to try and pin down what the point the author is trying to make. It is both too obvious and too obscured. There are screeds about how life was better when death was a thing, actually even though death... Still is a thing? 

Idk I need to parse this on my brain. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Mass/school shootings, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

maggie_the_ferocious_reader's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Gun violence, Violence, Mass/school shootings, Suicide attempt, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship

_savannahreads_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship