Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Disorientation by Elaine Hsieh Chou

54 reviews

elizabeth_lepore's review against another edition

funny reflective 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

stellahadz's review against another edition

funny medium-paced

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

4.75

This book is an absolute delight. It's equal parts hilarious, thought-provoking, and just generally buckwild. The title and cover are both great, the prose is clever and funny, and the story itself tackles timely issues in an interesting way. It's like Yellowface meets The Stepford Wives meets every horror story you've ever heard from anyone who works in academia. Absolutely recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, and Cultural appropriation

Moderate: Drug use, Toxic relationship, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Deportation

joensign's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Stalking, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting

oz2021's review against another edition

emotional funny informative 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? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Drug abuse and Toxic relationship

Minor: Racial slurs

smolswol's review against another edition

adventurous funny mysterious reflective 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Cultural appropriation, and Gaslighting

Minor: Mental illness and Toxic relationship

juliaureads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny fast-paced

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

4.75

 Truly, how did it take me so long to read this? It has all my favorite things, including an unhinged MC bent on her own destruction. Ironies that are so frustrating all you can do is laugh and a satisfying resolution. CW: micro and macro-aggressions 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Xenophobia, Cultural appropriation, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Addiction, Bullying, and Colonisation

bites_of_books's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny informative mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I absolutely flew through this book! I might have been a bit triggered by the depiction of academia (a bit close to home, reminding me of my grad school days...) but it was a very satisfying read overall. 

Ingrid is a young PhD student on track to become someone in academia, if only she could figure out how to finish her dissertation. The character development that she goes through is impeccable and all the other supporting characters provide great contrast, add complexity, and kept the story moving at a fast pace. 

A great novel that I'd highly recommend if you're at all interested in the ways that academia has and continues to profit off of POC students and cultures. Also, if you just want a story that is character driven with complex character development!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Suicide attempt, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Classism, and Deportation

kproc381's review against another edition

emotional funny tense fast-paced

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

4.5

4.5. This did not captivate me in the beginning but once you get to “that” part… I flew through this book. It went from messy to messier and I was into it. I support women’s right and I also support women’s wrongs. If you are a woman of color who grew up in a prominently white area and had your come to Jesus moment, you will really relate to this book (sadly). The writing was very vivid. I found myself acting things out and visualizing the scenes. Love a good satire read! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Toxic relationship, and Xenophobia

laurakfinnegan's review against another edition

funny reflective tense 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Toxic relationship, and Cultural appropriation

Minor: Drug use and Gaslighting

carojust's review against another edition

adventurous funny lighthearted slow-paced

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

3.5

This was a fun satirical read about the absurd world of academia, and an absolutely scathing look at racism, sexism, and finding identity as a first-generation Asian woman in America. 

Ingrid is a Taiwanese-American grad student at a Harvard-like university, struggling to finish her dissertation on the works of Chinese-American poet Xiao-Wen Chou. She relies on an addiction to allergy meds to get through her anxiety and procrastination, and feels strongly this isn't the work she should be doing. Right away, we are introduced to scenes of her taking a backseat to white men, including her own fiancé, on topics about her own culture. The plot continues in a feverish nightmare, as Ingrid is shaken by the truth of her work, and realization of the incredibly racist world she's tried to function in. 

Admittedly, I couldn't get into Elaine Hsieh Chou's writing style, but appreciated her funny storytelling, and extremely unlikeable characters. The author unlocked a lot of my own trauma, with anecdotes about trying to fit in with white friends, being ashamed of our own culture, the incessant need to question if someone is interested in us because they have a fetish. A lot of these themes are told in a continuous loop that could've been edited down, but I totally get the need to expand on topics that aren't represented enough. After reading R. F. Kuang's "Yellowface," with a white character faking Asian identity and struggling to find fault with what she's doing, "Disorientation"

similarly plays out this plot, but with an Asian protagonist's churning shock and disenchantment witnessing what's happening

; I'd highly recommend reading both in succession, for these two perspectives.

Give this a read if you're interested in Asian American themes, funny stories on grad school life, and whimsical sleuth-style storytelling.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Police brutality, Stalking, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, and Deportation