Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Normal People by Sally Rooney

362 reviews

venetiana's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

This is such a beautiful book. Very human, very realistic, melancholy.

---

Content Warnings

Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

avaa1000's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

Marianne had so much that could have been explored but it wasn’t 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Bullying and Eating disorder

Intrusive thoughts

splashcat360's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship

drjoannehill's review against another edition

funny sad slow-paced

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

3.75

Picked up because it is hyped and famous. 

I'm not sure how I feel about this book right now - the abrupt ending has frustrated me.

It's both funny and sad at different times. We hear a micro level of detail about the ins and outs of the relationship between two people, Marianne and Connell, who are variously good for each other, bad for other, horrible, caring, loved, abused, unsure of themselves. Micro level detail about what they say and how they say it (gestures, paused, intonation) that is meant to convey a meaning and then is received potentially in a different way. So it's well observed.

I did not like how Marianne is represented in romantic relationships and in her relationship with her brother. And really Marianne and Connell are so incompetent at loving each other and the same with dealing with other people ... There should be some kind of opportunity for Marianne to come out of the experiences she's having - this is not a feminist book ... Ok it doesn't have to be, but I hope she is not a model for younger women readers.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Toxic relationship

Minor: Eating disorder, Mental illness, and Toxic friendship

kylasmv15's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, and Alcohol

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Minor: Body shaming, Drug use, Eating disorder, Racism, Self harm, Blood, Vomit, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

peonierose's review against another edition

dark emotional slow-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

sydlexi's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content

Moderate: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Genocide, Infidelity, Racism, Grief, and Mass/school shootings

i fear i relate too much to Marianne

star101's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-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? Yes

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

cnannery19's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

gdulecki's review against another edition

dark emotional tense 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

3.0

I’m giving this a begrudging three stars - I did not like the characters, there were no quotation marks, and the writing style felt weird, but I also couldn’t put this down and read it in just a couple of hours because it was so captivating. I am so angry at the ending, Marianne needs some damn therapy, and the self sabotage and self degradation was so potent that I feel it in my bones after finishing the book. The way BDSM was portrayed was horrendous, and I think it was supposed to be??? I don’t know man I see why people really liked this but I don’t know if it was for me

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Classism