Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha

32 reviews

feelincelestial's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-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

4.25

A very engaging read, left me wanting more of these women’s stories.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

serendipity421's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexual content, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol

vaykay's review against another edition

adventurous reflective fast-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

I wish there was more. The pacing was sort of whack.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

4.25

I would like to read this one in physical form, so that I can take my time with it. It feels like a such a different world that I don't know, and I also want to translate every Korean word in it. But I thought it was really interesting, and I'm excited for more from this author. I love this group of girls, so similar and also different, just trying to find their survival. Very interesting read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fatphobia, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body shaming, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Ableism, Bullying, Death, Suicide, Violence, and Grief

daniellekat's review against another edition

reflective fast-paced

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

2.25

This was the definition of OK. I didn't hate reading it, but nothing about it was particularly compelling. The author made some strange choices in the writing and structure of the book (i.e. no Sujin POV, ending the book mid way through the cycle of character POVs, so many odd paragraph breaks, etc.) I thought the general content of the book was interesting, especially since I'm far removed from South Korean culture, but I felt like Cha was trying to cover too many topics. As a debut the writing was solid, but the overall book could have been more tightly edited. The open-ending makes me wary of recommending this but I'd probably pick up Cha's writing again.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, Vomit, Grief, and Pregnancy

Minor: Miscarriage, Suicide, and Death of parent

sex work

marleen02's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring reflective relaxing

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

kerrence30's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

Insightful look into a concept of room girls which I was not previously familiar with. Beautifully written and despite some characters making choices you may not agree with, you are rooting for them equally. A touch on the expectations of Korean culture for context, it highlights how some aspects are both widely accepted to exist and yet unacceptable to partake in.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail

rexpostfacto's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Child abuse, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Classism

Moderate: Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Pregnancy

Minor: Miscarriage, Sexual content, Violence, and Xenophobia

prism_'s review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content

Moderate: Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Classism

Minor: Infertility and Infidelity

aubigney's review against another edition

dark 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

1.0

I found this book extremely depressing to the point that I couldn’t finish it. I got to the sex worker’s affair and simply stopped reading. It was like everything good in life had been taken away from me. She was also extremely drunk and blacking out when the affair started, which makes me think the author is normalising sexual assault and passing it off as simply an affair instead of someone taking advantage of a sex worker who is much younger. I don’t know why someone would write a book like this except that they themselves were extremely miserable and going through it. The prose was not good so it wasn’t worth finishing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship