Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Paper Towns by John Green

16 reviews

shadow_seven's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad 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

4.75

It has such a strong and powerful meaning about frinedship, mental instability, regrets, abandonment, love, revenge and it is so impactful for teens who are graduating high school. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Suicide, and Grief

Moderate: Body shaming, Car accident, and Alcohol

Minor: Confinement, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Toxic friendship

All of John Greens books although may seem predictable they actually aren't and usually have a very strong connection with mental health/illness and a strong connection to personal relationships and parental support/involvement.

hayjay's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts

Moderate: Cursing, Suicide, and Toxic friendship

grboph's review against another edition

adventurous dark lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

I read this book in middle school and decided to re-read it after finding a copy in a junk store for a quarter. My perception of it was definitely different this time around. I think the characters were well-developed, the story was compelling and entertaining, and the general message (that we never really know what is going on with other people and that people and things never exist in the ways you imagine them to) was nice, and that it was conveyed in a unique, creative way. I do think it tries a bit too hard to be profound at times (like the extensive and at times exhausting use of Walt Whitman quotes) and that it could have gotten its message across just as effectively without being so emo about it. While I loved Radar, Ben, and Lacey as characters (as well as Q's parents), I found the characters of Q and Margo to be sort of insufferable. Unfortunately, they are the two main characters, and the story is all about Margo and told from Q's point of view. In short, I thought Q was incredibly self-centered and for someone whose parents are both therapists, he had a remarkable lack of awareness that girls also, in fact, have thoughts and feelings and lives just like everybody else. Margo clearly had some mental health issues and shitty parents, but I still found her to be a bit "not-like-other-girls"-y and in my opinion, she does not treat those around her with the greatest degree of respect or kindness. In conclusion, I enjoyed reading this book due to John Green's writing and the interesting story, but the fake-deepness and annoying narrator definitely made me reconsider why I enjoyed this book so much when I was thirteen. (Of course, maybe that says something about the book's target audience, but I digress.) I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a good road-trip story or is into books that are pretty meta and reference lots of other books to move their plots along.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Excrement, Car accident, Abandonment, and Alcohol

Moderate: Ableism, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Eating disorder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

stampest's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts and Alcohol

Moderate: Bullying, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual content, and Vomit

Minor: Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Racism, Car accident, Murder, and Toxic friendship

bizzarley's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious reflective slow-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? Yes

3.75

Not bad, not amazing; Very middle of the road. The side characters were very likeable and I liked the dynamic between the group towards the end, The chemistry was really good. Ending was a little?? eh, not what I was expecting but I enjoyed it as my first John Green book, will def be reading more of his stuff!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Toxic friendship

gray_713's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Ableism and Alcohol