Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Monster of Elendhaven by Jennifer Giesbrecht

30 reviews

polterbooks's review

This reads like bad fanfic and the characters are boring.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

tamara_joy's review

dark medium-paced

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

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Murder, Toxic friendship, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Body horror, Child death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Excrement

spadedigsbutts's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Stalking, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Incest, Xenophobia, and Classism

ellington_rist's review

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Body horror, Child death, Death, Genocide, Rape, Blood, Medical trauma, and Murder

Minor: Child abuse, Chronic illness, Incest, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

shyshadow's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, and Pandemic/Epidemic

joonjxne's review

dark emotional reflective fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Child death, Drug use, Incest, Violence, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail

readingpicnic's review

3.75

I don't really know how I feel about this book...it has to marinate a bit more. I will say that these are some actually morally gray characters in very fucked up ways, which was fun sometimes. I think I got confused about what was happening at some points in the book, and I didn't really understand the ending, so I almost want to reread it... It did keep me guessing the whole book about what was going on, and most of my theories ended up being wrong lol. The lack of consent in this book was upsetting...I'm not sure if it was because the main characters are meant to be fucked up or if it's romanticizing the SA? Pretty fucked though. They are sooo toxic. I don't think I understood either of the main characters' motivations for the entirety of the book whic lended to my confusion. The atmosphere in this book was so incredibly well done: the oiliest, greasiest, grimiest gay book I've ever read. The body horror was also amazing, with disgusting lines like "curdled genitals" on a dead body. Also, why is Johann literally Addie LaRue? Reading this felt like reading a toxic gay anime fanfiction; like, this is what I imagine Noé and Vanitas fanfics are like from the anime The Case Study of Vanitas.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Suicide attempt, Murder, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Stalking

tinyjude's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

From the get go I fell in love with the atmosphere the author transports us into. The gothic vibes, the gorey and unhinged characters, the gruesome and fatally flawed (aka toxic) situations situasionship these two has going on. It reminded me of Bloodborne or Dishonored in some aspects, either by the vibes and monstruousity in it all, or the revenge at all costs plotline. I loved the writing too, hollow and haunting, full of imagery that surely clicks much better on a second read. The descriptions of the characters and the mythical aspect of the city, with us as spectators rooted in the city yet still watching everything unfold from a deep mist that clouds our perceptions in the same way the sorcerer manipulates everyone here. The idea of a master-monster also reminded me a lot of Frankenstein, although both stories differ in a lot of aspects. Nonetheless, I believe it's a gritty novella perfect for when you are in the mood to read dark, gory, stuff like for Halloween, and be left wondering about the world a little bit (a sense of acrid lingering that follows you around like the shadow of Elendhaven.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Moderate: Drug use, Rape, Self harm, Torture, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Incest

onemamareads's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Read my full review here: https://onemamassummer.weebly.com/book-reviews/the-monster-of-elendhaven

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Sexual violence

thescenery's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

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

3.5

I had a hard time rating this book. 

It was fun, it had everything that I liked: gay people, gore and a bit of sadness. The first half got me obsessed and I wanted to devour the book in one sitting. The characters were fun put together, even if completely horrible to each other. 

However, I think I got more and more confused by the second half. Once I thought I finally understood it, the book ended. I knew from the start it would be an unsatisfying ending, and I was right (not that this is a bad thing), but it felt almost too underwhelming.. Almost.

I think I'm still trying to figure out what quite happened on its last chapter, and I'm not sure we are meant to. But I guess I'll have to think about it for a while. 

Read this for the Halloween Challenge, and it sure was a good start! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Excrement, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Rape

Minor: Genocide