Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

134 reviews

snapeygan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

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

5.0

There’s only one mistake I did when I picked up this book: I picked it up at 9pm. I. Couldn’t. Stop. I knew I had to go to bed… but I couldn’t put that book down! And to say it’s been sitting on my shelf for at least two years….

It’s well written, so it’s super easy to read. Reading this story, your heart just breaks for Starr. I loved the characters, and loved to hate some of them. It’s such an important book to read!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Physical abuse, Racism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship

amyherman's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Vomit

oceanbluetay's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Deadnaming, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Police brutality, Grief, and Murder

Moderate: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Alcoholism, Cancer, Drug abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Vomit, and Alcohol

hmwoodward's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I've heard so much about this book and seen it as required reading in my high school's classrooms, so I decided to read what some of my students are studying these days. I am so glad I read this book, even though it was often challenging.

This book shows you a side of police brutality that we don't get to see - how those who are left behind process and respond to it. Star grapples with her responsibility to her murdered friend and the risk of speaking about it to the public. You watch as life goes back to "normal" as you follow Star to school and with her family. Though the death is no longer the only focus, it is a grief that weighs on Star and the community, on top of all the other trauma they experience in the form of poverty or drugs or gang activity, etc. The world stops at the news of a death at the hands of the police AND at the trial AND at the decision, but they're gone when the news cycle ends again.

Through the course of the book, you get to know and love (most of) the characters, despite their many flaws. You get to understand why people in challenging situations pick what appears to be a wrong choice since the odds are stacked and no choice is a good one sometimes. You watch as the people around Star grow and hear the stories of others who grew in their challenging environment. 

I listened to this on audiobook and appreciated the narrator because it felt like I was in Star's head. The narrator brought these powerful and emotional moments to life so vividly. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Cultural appropriation, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Mental illness, and Blood

Minor: Alcoholism, Sexual content, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Alcohol

anamustacho's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional informative reflective fast-paced

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

5.0

I love Star's parents.

There is so much I love about this book. The ddiversity. The humor. The sad parts tha make you reflect. How it made mee feel heard and understood as someone from.an immigrant family and interracial parents.

The injustice. The justic and power of people, community.

Tbh I find this book very fitting for catholics. Naastenliefde. Forgiveness. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and War

evelynnnn33333's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Panic attacks/disorders, Racial slurs, Racism, Police brutality, and Grief

Moderate: Domestic abuse and Toxic friendship

Minor: Sexual content

kind_fiction's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racial slurs, Racism, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

_ren's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

The most refreshing writing style I have read in a while.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse and Abandonment

Minor: Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

corriejn's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

Excellent and engaging novel-- handles issues like racism, police violence, poverty, gangs, drugs, incarceration, domestic violence, code switching, microaggressions, and activism as part of a nuanced story with well-developed characters, avoiding falling into cliches or wrapping everything up with a neat bow.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Sexual content, Vomit, and Alcohol

gaugedgage's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Hate crime, Racism, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Alcoholism, Bullying, Drug abuse, and Drug use