Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey

25 reviews

lindsayerin's review against another edition

dark funny sad slow-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder and Mental illness

Moderate: Fatphobia and Toxic friendship

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail

crystalleighwrites's review against another edition

Just not the right book for me at this moment in my life. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

khoala_tea's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Cursing, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

thecriticalreader's review against another edition

emotional funny reflective slow-paced

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

4.75

Why I Read It: I chose Really Good, Actually by Monica Heisey as my add-on for my Book of the Month Club pick.

 

Review:

Really Good, Actually pulled me in from the first page with its wit, humor, relatability, and emotional depth, in a manner that reminded me somewhat of David Sedaris’s writing. As the book went on, I realized that it is so much more than a humorous account of millennial life: it is a book that has something to say, and it brilliantly explores mental illness, loneliness, feminism, and other issues without ever hitting the audience over the head with its message. In the hands of anyone but a master writer, this story could have easily been trite, obnoxious, cringeworthy, or shallow, but Really Good, Actually blew me away with the deftness and skill of Monica Heisey’s writing and storytelling. In particular,

I loved how the book mimics the gradual of Maggie’s mental and physical health by morphing from funny relatability into horrifying mental crisis so smoothly that the reader is left wondering: how did we get here?

 

The Run-Down: 

You will probably like Really Good, Actually if:

·      You can relate to the protagonist, either by virtue of demographic or life situation

·      You enjoy humorous writing with a serious side

·      You appreciate a story that realistically portrays mental health struggles

 

You might not like Really Good, Actually if:

·      You dislike unlikable or difficult protagonists

·      You hate reading about “first world problems”

 

 

 

 

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Biphobia, Cursing, Fatphobia, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, and Stalking

Minor: Cancer, Drug use, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

krisbarnhardt's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

1.0

Just a train wreck of pitiful breakup narcissistic behavior.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use and Toxic friendship