Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Boy Parts by Eliza Clark

220 reviews

aducharme4's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• 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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cancer

biobeetle's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective tense slow-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Body horror and Death

csmoke85's review against another edition

dark funny 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? It's complicated

5.0

Irina likes to take photos of non conventionally pretty boys. Her photos are provocative, and she has a kink that involves female rage. I loved this book. Irina was unhinged and you couldn’t tell her anything about herself. A baddie with a drug problem, and her passion for choking.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

curryduttan's review against another edition

adventurous dark reflective tense slow-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

nithya_natalya's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

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

4.0

Was in the mood for something truly sickening, and this fit the bill, although it wasn't quite as vile as I was expecting based on some reviews on reddit. Irina's messiness and spiraling, and denial of her own trauma, and her desire to hurt herself, and then eventually others - all of it was deeply unsettling. Even her less directly harmful behavior is exposed and embarrassing. You will absolutely cringe your way through this. And the unhinged texts she'd send to people to manipulate them were so well written (absolutely horrific behavior!). Giving this a 4 because it did drag a bit in the middle, and I was also expecting it to escalate a lot sooner, so the pacing felt a little off. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Biphobia, Body shaming, Eating disorder, and Injury/Injury detail

katierobertsonshaddix's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Medical content, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

urfavgothlibrarian's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

phage90's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I came around to this book in the second half, and while there is a lack of character development, there is a logical progression. If you are fascinated by abhorrent women in literature, I highly recommend this book. I was fully engrossed in the point of view of a deviant woman that is devoid of the ability for human compassion.  Warning: It has very disturbing content. 

For what I think is the most disturbing, please view the spoilers below (I try to remain vague):

Person has an object inserted into their body without consent

 

Fetishization of young men/boys by protagonist

 

Targeting homeless/vulnerable people for sexual violence

 

Extensive emotional manipulation by protagonist toward LGTBQ friend

 

Depictions of drug use that reads as self-harm

   
This is not an exhaustive list.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Eating disorder, Rape, Vomit, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Body shaming, and Blood

carojust's review against another edition

dark funny tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I keep saying I won't read more books like this, and I end up only reading books like this -- model-like waif girls who stumble through drugs, alcohol, vomiting (so much vomiting), questionable sex, and with smeared mascara and broken faces, always stare in the mirror to see how relentlessly beautiful they are. 

See: The Guest by Emma Cline, My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh, Fruit of the Dead by Rachel Lyon

What redeems "Boy Parts" from this tiring blueprint is the Gen Z sense of humor that gives the unreliable narrator, Irina, some personality. She's self-aware, albeit narcissistic, damaged, abusive and horrible, and going through her mental circus with her is incredibly entertaining and honestly thrilling. Eliza Clark gives structure and purpose to the mania, and her general commentary on pretty privilege, consent, sexual violence, and women's shift in power, is really well done. 

I recommend this if you're okay with hateable and gross characters, graphic content, and moral ambiguity.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Racism, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

imperials's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail