Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Burning Girls by C.J. Tudor

12 reviews

luverbyrd's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury and Violence

Minor: Suicide, Pedophilia, Torture, and Toxic relationship

nialiversuch's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Mental illness, Animal death, Abandonment, Bullying, Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Gore, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Child death, Murder, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Religious bigotry, Toxic relationship, Violence, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Drug use, Vomit, Drug abuse, and Car accident

booksnbrooches's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

3.0

I greatly enjoyed the opening of this book. It had ghost girls, religious fervor, and a creepy setting, what more did I need? Unfortunately, I found the main story less than appealing. I was hoping for more of the supernatural side of things, and that isn’t what happened. Maybe my own expectations let me down. 

Still, it was a fast paced thriller. I loved the writing style and would be willing to read more of the author’s work in the future. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death, Mental illness, and Religious bigotry

Moderate: Body horror, Cursing, and Bullying

Minor: Torture, Murder, Pregnancy, and Pedophilia

singalana's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Mental illness, Murder, Suicide, Bullying, Death, Torture, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Dementia, Emotional abuse, Blood, Child death, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Minor: Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Body horror, Excrement, Fire/Fire injury, Vomit, Sexual content, and Religious bigotry

mysterymom46's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Rape, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Stalking, Toxic friendship, Blood, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Self harm, Torture, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, and Death

Minor: Mental illness, Fire/Fire injury, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Sexual content, Pregnancy, and Homophobia

Spoiler

graphic scenes, even with teen characters; lots of cursing and what could be read as blasphemy to some; biblical interpretation and views shared by religious persons; ghost-like appearances

archaicrobin's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense 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? Yes

2.5

I really enjoyed Tudor’s other novel The Chalk Man, and while Burning Girls did have its moments, overall it just wasn’t phenomenal for me. 

Jack and her daughter are moved to a small town to be the new vicar. Once they arrive strange dolls, strange people, and strange bodies start to appear and soon Jack and her daughter Flo find themselves immersed in the towns’ secrets. 

In my opinion there was WAY too much going on in this book for it to end well. You had burning ghosts, martyrs, rich people with influence over a small town, Jack had a dark past and secrets, her daughter had secrets, the church had secrets, the townspeople had secrets, and the initial set up for the town to be entirely in on the disappearances and strange deaths in the town never came to fruition. 

Instead the last half of the book revealed a twist that just felt unexplained and random to me. I loved the first half of the book but the second half was so hard for me to get through and the ending just sucked. There was too many plot points introduced and twists thrown in that you could tell that beat the end the author was just trying to make sure she addressed them all. 

I look forward to reading more books by this author but I’d say pick up Chalk Man over this one. 2.5 stars, just wasn’t enough to reach that full 3! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Pedophilia, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Suicide, Toxic friendship, Violence, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Torture

celia_hf's review

adventurous dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Rape, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Pedophilia, and Murder

dorianlecter's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, and Death

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Animal death

powellki's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse

jilldwill's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Violence, Religious bigotry, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Alcoholism