Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

She Started It by Sian Gilbert

75 reviews

amanda_reads89's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Addiction, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Self harm, Blood, and Stalking

Minor: Domestic abuse, Violence, and Lesbophobia

bookishchaos's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

I liked it! I finished it in one day and the ending was satisfying (in my opinion). Recommended if you like revenge plots, feminine rage or fast paced thrillers.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Suicide, and Murder

Moderate: Infidelity, Self harm, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Abandonment

bleusbookblog's review against another edition

challenging mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.0

I hate to be brutally honest but I did not enjoy this book. The characters were horribly unlikable and frankly annoying. I figured out the twist at 198 pages and it wasn’t that exciting. The only part that evoked an emotional response from me was about 3 sentences long. The writing was great. I will not deny that there was talent. The story was just not there.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Infidelity, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Physical abuse

enzopudge's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Murder, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

ddrosche's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Self harm, Suicide, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Drug use

jamiee_f's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny 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

Four mean girls are invited to their former frenemy's bachelorette party, an all inclusive stay on a private island. They're too self absorbed to say no, and besides, what could go wrong? Spoiler alert:

everything.

With no cell service, no way off the island, and a LOT of secrets and pent up resentment, the five women hash out the past. Interspersed with diary entries by Poppy, who was tortured by our four mean girls in primary/secondary school, we learn just how mean these girls can be. Poppy sends them on pointed scavenger hunts, asks weird questions, and then reveals that she's only invited them here to ruin their lives: she has systematically taken each one of them down. The ladies fight and get drunk, and wake up to no Poppy in her bloody bedroom. No one trusts anyone else, and everyone starts to get suspicious. One by one, these ladies start dying, until there's just one left, at which point, 'Poppy' reveals herself. It turns out she's been murdering these ladies, as revenge for the actual Poppy: her sister who killed herself after years of bullying. A satisfying conclusion to this story about very terrible people.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

kshertz's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.75

Ooh this was good! A bunch of high school friends get invited to the wedding of a girl they used to pick on. They go because it’s a free fancy trip to an island. 

Things go wrong and murderous almost immediately! I kinda had some thoughts about who did it. But I was only half right! 

Worth a read. A good thriller! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

ivirtue's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Self harm, Blood, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Addiction, Biphobia, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Infidelity, Suicide, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Vomit

mrsmishler's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Infidelity, Self harm, and Suicide

beckyremillard's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Death, Homophobia, Infidelity, Self harm, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Domestic abuse and Drug abuse