Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Girls by Emma Cline

66 reviews

lindsayerin's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, and Murder

Minor: Blood

knikchevich's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol

susanvitawrites's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.0

The narrator here was perfect. I liked the book but it seemed to fizzle out- could have had a bolder ending. Great tension and a believable journey as the young woman in the story mixes in with a bad crowd.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, and Toxic friendship

uuuultraviolennnnt's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

poor girls. girlhood is so magic even in the realm of abuse, which is maybe the worst thing ever. how does emma cline narrate so secretly, allowing this sad story to read smoothly.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Sexual violence

Moderate: Toxic friendship

Minor: Rape

girlgerms's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense slow-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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence

Moderate: Violence, Trafficking, Murder, and Toxic friendship

maddamreads's review against another edition

reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I was immersed in the world of this book very quickly! Cline’s decision to make it set in the past and present, as well as first person narration brings you in, even while the narrator is somewhat biased. The commentary on girlhood/womanhood is not anything new, but put very bluntly, imposing a sense of connection to afab/woman readers. I did not like the constant hinting at the events at the end of the book. It felt like it was intended to keep me reading, but it comes off as mildly immature and distrusting of Clines own great storytelling. 
Overall, a thrilling story and a great character study. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Sexual content, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment

Difficult Mother/daughter and father/daughter relationships.

panic_at_the_bookshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

The build up and the basics of the plot were amazing and made you want to reach the ending of the story. However the ending was rather disappointing. I feel like there are still plenty of loose ends. 

Some scenes and characters felt rather empty. Sex was mentioned sooo many times. There are plenty of scenes where a minor is sexually involved with plenty of adults, often twice her age. Not sure if these scenes should have been this explicit.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Domestic abuse

literally_mint's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

issyd23's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective relaxing sad tense slow-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

4.0

Like a more interesting version of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood 4⭐️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

geesammy's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious reflective sad tense 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

2.75

 why was this 14yr old girl so lost and making such morally ambiguous choices?  Just to belong and be seen?  She never developed her own sense of self, dignity, decency or even hygiene….the idea that she questioned whether she would have stopped them is laughable …she clearly would not have.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment