Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Converses entre amics by Sally Rooney, Núria Parés Sellarés

160 reviews

sandy_panini's review against another edition

Toxic female friendships and adultery are just kinda a bummer

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity and Toxic friendship

xosevenusagbadan's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-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

4.0

I was nervous to read Sally Rooney after reading and loving Normal People, but I think somehow I needed to read this books in the stage of life that im in right now. you have no time to think, this books just dives you into Frances’ life. I was completely sucked in even though on the surface I should not have been. I should have been confused and maybe even a but disturbed. It almost reminded me of The Stranger. I think if youre a woman in her 20s that loves to think and contemplate and desire, this book is for you.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Sexual content, Blood, Medical trauma, and Alcohol

Moderate: Eating disorder, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Miscarriage, Sexism, and Suicidal thoughts

ruth_power's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted reflective medium-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

3.75

All the characters are complex but unique and interesting. Sally Rooney's writing is also unique and authentic - I was completely inside the characters' heads.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Biphobia, Chronic illness, Homophobia, Infidelity, Mental illness, Racism, Self harm, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

jmflint27's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny reflective 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

4.0

I want to preface this review by saying that I did not enjoy or like this book, but I still think there’s something beautiful about it.

Not enjoying or liking it is subjective. In many ways I found this really difficult to read - I should’ve known better as I struggle with one of the main themes in the book (infidelity). But that being said - I wasn’t prepared for how unlikeable the  characters would be beyond this theme. I constantly wanted to slap them upside the head or shake them silly, and the whiny internal monologue of the narrator is painful at times.

But all of that being said - there’s something beautiful about it. Even though I really didn’t like the way the dialogue was written (no quotation marks were used), the wit and thought behind them was clearly there. Rooney clearly knows how to write and describes things in a way that really shake you to your core and almost make you feel intense amounts of empathy for even the most selfish of people. 

Generally I had really mixed feelings and am proud of myself for finishing the book - there were times I didn’t want to.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Self harm

djenkin96's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny sad 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

3.75

I think it was just a story of repeated behaviours from all the main characters. There were sections of self development or self awareness with the intent to improve, but did any character actually develop ? In the end I didn’t even end up liking Bobbi or Frances or even Melissa. I’m not even sure I liked nick. A lot of loose ends at the end ? It’s  Like the author got bored, undid all the self-awareness and ended the book ? 

I did like the relevant topics And The nod to endometriosis.However I Feel the author  glazed over a large amount of obvious body image issues and an eating disorder ?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Chronic illness, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

hello_lovely13's review against another edition

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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

There is something about Sally Rooney's writing that just clicks with my brain! I've read many different things that try to do something similar, but somehow it doesn't resonate with me the way her writing does. There's something deeply (and sadly) relatable about each of her characters, and it highlights similarities many people have, particularly ones that we are ashamed of. Frances' inability to be honest with her emotions (and refuse to express them, then somewhat believing her to be superior because of it, only to conflict with her deep-seeded self-hatred) touches every relationship and leads her to make amoral, selfish, and insensitive decisions. She desperately wants to be loved and admired, and she hates herself for it. Did I particularly like her relationship with Nick? Not really. I wasn't rooting for them, but that wasn't really the point.

I can't believe (yet simultaneously absolutely can) the book ends with them starting the cycle all over again and getting back together.

They both have an inability to express their own thoughts that it is weird (and makes sense) that their relationship lasted for as long as it did. Everything each character did was a recipe for disaster. For the first part of the book, I didn't particularly like Bobbi. I oftentimes found her selfish and mean. Her relationship with Frances was so toxic (again, that is part of the point), but at the same time so sad because they do genuinely have great moments of friendship. Sometimes Bobbi misses the point when she calls Frances out, but other times (particularly that last time she does in the book) really hits the nail on the head.

I don't particularly think they should have restarted their "non-relationship", but it's messy and suits them both, I suppose. Although, the ending scene promises even more destruction.

The dialogue is always top tier, and the conversations on the world, privilege, and politics stood out to me as it was one of the things I liked the most about Beautiful World, Where are You (though of course I loved the constant opportunities to psychoanalyze each character the best). This is definitely a sad girl, hot girl book, where a mentally ill woman makes terrible, amoral, self-destructive decisions. I liked it a lot, particularly the dialogue, commentary, and writing style, but I wasn't obsessed with it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Chronic illness and Miscarriage

kashrae99's review against another edition

emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Sexual content, Blood, Medical content, and Classism

Minor: Infertility and Vomit

littlelizzieborden's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Medical content, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

lailaite's review against another edition

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

komiification's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

I'm not smart enough to fully understand this book, but it made me so fucking sad. Every single line was a poetic punch in my stomach. It made me want to die I was so miserable. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Cursing, Infidelity, Mental illness, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Minor: Racism and Police brutality