Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Sundial by Catriona Ward

2 reviews

kermit_the_wrong's review

dark mysterious slow-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

2.0

Never really *got there*. It had potential but just fizzled out somewhere along the way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, Addiction, Alcohol, Animal death, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Animal cruelty, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Violence, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, and Suicide

Moderate: Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, Infertility, and Body horror

thatsoneforthebooks's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

 ✨ Review ✨ Sundial by Catriona Ward
I don't really want to summarize this one - it's better to go in knowing as little as possible I think. Broadly, it's about a mom and a daughter, and the mom's past - about secrets and familial bonds and the dark demons that lie within.

CW: abuse of many forms, including psychological abuse and animal abuse - DM me if you want to know more before reading.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Genre: Horror/Thriller
Location: Mojave Desert
Pub Date: March 1, 2022

I dropped everything to read this when Becky and Amy recommended it so highly, and it was WORTH dropping everything for. It was so engaging and provided so many interesting themes and topics for discussion. It's a great one to read alongside a friend.

I had a few qualms with it - the first half was a little slow in places and it mixes in a third narrative line with a fictional story one of the characters has written (and this doesn't always link smoothly back in with the narrative). 

This is a hard one to review without giving too much away, but it was a truly twisty book, sure to keep you awake with all the lights on. I highly recommend it! 

Read this if you like:
⭕️ family drama meets horror
⭕️ creepy desert thriller with wayward science plots
⭕️ BONES and Pink Star Lamps

Thanks to Tor Nightfire and #netgalley for an advanced e-copy of this book!
 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Child death, Blood, Abandonment, Animal death, Physical abuse, Death, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Toxic friendship