Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Five Survive by Holly Jackson

80 reviews

camiandkitread's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

 “Five Survive” starts off slowly, introducing its protagonist, Red, who echoes Holly Jackson's other heroines—highly intelligent, somewhat quirky, and grappling with social dynamics within a close-knit friend group. This setup might seem like a retread of Jackson’s other works, but it sets the stage for the tension that ramps up as the story unfolds. 

As the narrative picks up pace, Jackson demonstrates her skill in creating a gripping and suspenseful plot within the confines of a small space—just 31 feet. The interactions among a diverse cast of characters is handled adeptly, with Jackson balancing the dynamics and delivering a mix of predictable and surprising twists. The high stakes keeps the reader engaged, making it a nail-biting experience despite its slow start. 

Although “Five Survive” may not reach the same intensity as “The Reappearance of Rachel Price” or the same cleverness of “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder,” it remains an engaging listen, particularly effective as an audiobook enjoyed on a dark, stormy night. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

sarahangeline's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

I am obsessed with this author. This is my 4th book of hers that I've read and I have zoomed through every one. I couldn't stop reading this book, and when I had to (for work) I couldn't stop thinking about it! So good!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Blood, and Grief

julierambaeck's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This was messed up - in a good way! Holly Jackson is so smart, I would love to know her writing process and how she comes up with all these twist. I did not see one twist coming... I was shocked the whole way through the book. This book will keep you on the edge of your seat the whole way through! None of these characters were particularly likeable, maybe except for one. They were kind of stupid and annoying but that made for good drama.
The reason why it is not a 5 star is because it was a bit too dramatic and one character REALLY got on my nerves (which I think was intentional).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Violence

saumyagupta's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

It broke me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Gore, Gun violence, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Gaslighting

deelightfulreads's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

easy five stars!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

the plot twist, the way the characters were all connected, the sprinkle of romance, and the betrayal all made for an amazing YA thriller! i love that even though holly jackson’s books are YA, it doesn’t have that immature feeling some YA books have! these characters were complex and have so much depth!! i can’t wait to read jackson’s next book! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death of parent

sayhar13's review against another edition

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Gun violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

rxchxel's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I’ve put off reading this book for a while but ended up finishing it in one day because I was so hooked! Plot twists galore and so many times my breath was held in anticipation! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, and Toxic friendship

I

lias_library22's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

melindac's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense 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

4.75

I absolutely loved the ending. It was so satisfying seeing everything be revealed and the way everything ended up working out. I hated Oliver so much though and I was hoping he would die the whole time while reading this book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gun violence, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Violence

Minor: Toxic relationship and Blood

ghostsversion's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective sad 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

Holy shit this book was good. Like whew Holly ya really cooked with this one. I mean from the constant fixation on random stuff to the foreshadowing of stuff from the very beginning, this really was a good thriller mystery. Also the way

I so wanted Oliver to die but in my head being like “nah he’s too nasty to not live” and then him actually dying? ✨Perfect✨

By the way, Red really had me scared for a moment there. Although her talking again with her mom was sweet and all, it was also devastating. Luckily she pushed through.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Vomit