Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Tampa by Alissa Nutting

62 reviews

sierrabowers's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

No plot. I feel like the entire book was just written for shock value. But I will give props to the author, the main character was a psycho and you could really get in her head through the narration.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

bries_librarybooks's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

This book nails the goal of being creepy, skin crawling, and real. I hated EVERY SINGLE SECOND of reading this book, and I ended up having to take MULTIPLE DAYS between certain parts because the contents are just that visceral. It was truly terrifying to see how REAL everything was, how REAL the ending was, and how manipulative and EASY it was for the FMC to do what she does.

CHECK. YOUR. TRIGGER WARNINGS!!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

bwoo's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Death of parent, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Fatphobia, Grief, and Pregnancy

bethchass's review against another edition

Super disturbing, felt like it was even illegal to read, could not morally finish it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent

mirandahopeshea's review against another edition

challenging dark funny tense fast-paced

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

5.0

WTF did I just read? I laughed out loud several times, marvelled at the brilliant writing, had an actual nightmare halfway through the book, felt physically ill, and thusly will be giving it five stars. Tampa makes you want to rip your hair out and actually FEEL disgust, not at the storytelling (like so many books I have read), but at the story itself. The difference between Tampa, and other books in the same vein about abuse (Colleen Hoover…*cough cough*), is that something like this is is that it’s not glamorising anything. Tampa is satirical and critical in the same go. It doesn’t pretend that the subject matter is aspirational, okay, or in any way good. It is pure horror, and is labeled as such.
Some art is supposed to be difficult and nauseating. It makes us think about the darkness in the world in a deeply meaningful way. You don’t have to read this book. In fact, I don’t think many people will be equipped to, and should not, but that doesn’t mean this book is “bad” or shouldn’t exist.
I read somewhere once that “The sterilisation of reality is a detriment to all who exist within it.” Fiction helps us practice empathy and helps us face the scary, big-bad real world. Art shouldn’t be sanitised because it makes you uncomfortable.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

essie101's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Cursing, Blood, Stalking, and Alcohol

aprilsnow's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

hart_ley's review

challenging dark tense medium-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

4.0

a swapped gender Lolita when there perspective is a woman who is fully aware of what she is doing, has no illusions about her pedophilia, & completely acknowledges that she is the predator in this situation. it’s fucked up & gross & upsetting but that’s so viscerally the point

extremely well-written, which makes the fucked-up-ness worse. very ‘A Certain Hunger’ narrative vibes.

fully had to stop chapter by chapter bc holy fuck, if you think about the situation too hard, the book feels disgusting in your hands. but once the climax (sorry) hit & all the shit starts to hit the fan, you have to know what becomes of her

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Stalking and Alcohol

Minor: Death, Blood, and Vomit

defyinggravity's review against another edition

challenging dark 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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Drug abuse

samarod234's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-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

0.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship