Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Las chicas by Emma Cline

67 reviews

holdonangela's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-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

3.75

Abrupt ending that was actually a relief..literally. Felt myself kind of anxious the whole time reading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual violence

geenas's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective tense slow-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

4.25

So well written. A bit wordy at times and really disturbed but I like how matter of fact it was

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual content

Minor: Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gaslighting, and Sexual harassment

whoisrois's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark sad 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

3.75

Took a good third of the book to get invested but I liked it in the end. very well written but I expected it to be more…. idk I just expected more I guess

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Bullying and Drug use

istherelifeonmars's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

honestly when reading the beggining to the middle of this book i was prepared to give it a 5. however when i made it to the end and finally finished, i was kind of disappointed. it wasn’t a bad ending, just felt like it was missing something. some positives though, this book has some amazing quotes and i think emma cline is a great writer, and really has a way with words, which made the book very enjoyable. however i do still have to give it just a 3.5, again just felt like something was missing. ps don’t let this review deter you from reading the book id say it’s definitely worth a read, especially if your interested in the hippie cult-y? vibes. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Dysphoria

kelseynj's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

4.0

I was stressed as all hell by the last 50 pages.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child death and Excrement

lacanadienneinreads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad 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

2.0

I'm interested in history, true crime, and literary fiction with interiority as a focus, so I wanted to like this book. In theory, an exploration of the trauma and complexity of a girl lured by her own reckless youth, naivety, into a dangerous cult is an interesting read. But I just didn't care for The Girls. Evie is a petulant child, turned traumatized adult in arrested development. The wordy and overly descriptive prose felt incongruous with the other snipits of voice of the protagonist/narrator. Although the dynamic of childhood friends lost through petty adolescence and the "do I want her or her want to be with her" questions of feminine homoerotic love were compelling, I they were not enough to capture me. Cline's description of teenage angst and rebellion did not resonate with me in what felt like the intended way. The book seemed to offer that the mundane indignities and frustrations of life could lead us, like they did Evie, astray. 
There are arguments to be made for the book's merits. But I did not enjoy myself. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child death, Violence, and Murder

sallyrooneystanclub's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.5

I find it strange just how closely the story follows the Manson family yet leaves out some of the more unique elements of what really happenend and how Mansons own motivations and cult techniques. It therefore lacks a  nuanced explantion or reflection on why many young people in particular young girls tortured and murdered people in the real Manson family. This feels a dis service to those murdered and their friends and family. I would have preferred it if it had taken more artistic licences to explore the themes it explored, how evie got involved more time to explore how it has impacted. It needed more depth otherwise it's borders on futher exploitation of the suffering of their victims.

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Content Warnings

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

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

delaneybarry's review against another edition

adventurous reflective 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship

abigail_baxter's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

3.25

very much a female rage book, the darker side of girlhood with the added layer of a murderous cult in the 1960s. the “modern” flashes throughout the book didn’t seem to serve a strong purpose for me but the 1960s parts were good

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Toxic relationship, and Murder

ellie_gonzalez's review against another edition

emotional reflective 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Drug use, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Abandonment