Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

What Stalks Among Us by Sarah Hollowell

9 reviews

keenanmaree's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful 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

5.0

Such a weird, wonderful, beautiful book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Fatphobia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Blood, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

roguemuffin's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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

4.0

This book has an engaging plot and also carries an important message. Along the way there is plenty of representation and a genuine friendship that was really lovely to witness. 

I will also say Im not a huge YA fan, mainly bc YA characters often come across as contrived, shallow, or one-dimensional to me but NOT SO in What Stalks Among Us. The characters are beautifully authentic and realized which is one of the elements that makes the story shine.

This was my first of Hollowell's and I will definitely be adding her 1st book to my TBR!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Emotional abuse

imstephtacular's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

What a TRIP! This was so compelling and weird and I had to keep reading to figure out wtf was happening

I really appreciated how it approached teen dating violence in an approachable and age appropriate way 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Violence, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Misogyny, Grief, Medical content, Sexism, and Gun violence

Minor: Classism, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Cursing, Racism, Abandonment, Animal death, Body shaming, Biphobia, Bullying, Confinement, Fatphobia, Domestic abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders

andromeda_1998's review

adventurous dark 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: Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse

conina's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship

elizabethwebb's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Suicide attempt, Mental illness, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Death, Violence, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Self harm, Gore, and Gun violence

tiff_taff's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

What Stalks Among Us captivated me from the beginning! Sadie and Logan’s friendship kept me invested and the progression of it warmed my heart.

Spoiler

Sadie’s journey to identifying the abuse she endured with her former partner was challenging for me. It reminded me of old trauma I thought I had moved past. I love that Logan named the abuse while giving Sadie space to come to terms with it. I saw myself in Sadie. It is soul crushing to have a person you trust and love tell you that no one else will love you the way they do. It’s even harder to find the courage leave a relationship like that while fighting a voice that says,  “Maybe they’re right?”

All this to say that this book is without a doubt my book of the year. Sarah tackled trauma and neurodivergence with alarming accuracy and care. One last note,

Spoiler

the heckin wimdy line had me laughing out loud

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gun violence, Death, Murder, Abandonment, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Blood, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Self harm

Moderate: Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Domestic abuse, and Misogyny

Minor: Fatphobia and Biphobia

sydatroom's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Death

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Grief, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Emotional abuse and toxic relationships are in the past but talked about because of the trauma they created that affects the present

esmewasreading's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.75

 This was absolutely fantastic, you think you know what's happening just for everything to be different. It keeps you on your toes literally from page 1. There's a beautiful and important message lying underneath the twists and turns and the author did such a good job expressing it. Honestly it's best to dive into this blind as much as possible! The characters were all very well written and developed. I enjoyed this so much! cannot wait to buy the physical copy!

TRIGGERS *HAVE SPOILERS SO CHECK AT YOUR OWN RISK*

Thank you to Netgalley for a copy of the book! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Murder