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Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'
My Friend Anna: The True Story of the Fake Heiress Who Conned Me and Half of New York City by Rachel DeLoache Williams
14 reviews
hannahdamigo's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic friendship
annamay1021's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting and Toxic friendship
readingwithmeredith's review
informative
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Cursing
aharper's review against another edition
informative
tense
fast-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Gaslighting
bookwookie's review against another edition
medium-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship
forgottencupoftea's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
I rarely read this type of book but found myself very curious when this very book was mentioned in one of the last episodes of the Netflix show <i>Inventing Anna</i>.
As the show ended up portraying Rachel in a not-so-positive light, I thought reading her own account of the whole situation would change things for me. Spoiler alert: it didn't (not really anyway). The structure of the book made little sense to me (and structure is important, especially in nonfiction). The writing isn't anything special. The author often tends to digress and it seems like she gets lost in her own account which makes the book much longer than it could be.
I also found it quite hard at times to empathise with Rachel as she appears to be quite privileged and to navigate life with ease (college, study abroad, internships and Vanity Fair). All of those aren't bad things, good for her even, but there is a lack of self-awareness on her part throughout much of the narration.
As the show ended up portraying Rachel in a not-so-positive light, I thought reading her own account of the whole situation would change things for me. Spoiler alert: it didn't (not really anyway). The structure of the book made little sense to me (and structure is important, especially in nonfiction). The writing isn't anything special. The author often tends to digress and it seems like she gets lost in her own account which makes the book much longer than it could be.
I also found it quite hard at times to empathise with Rachel as she appears to be quite privileged and to navigate life with ease (college, study abroad, internships and Vanity Fair). All of those aren't bad things, good for her even, but there is a lack of self-awareness on her part throughout much of the narration.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Alcohol
Minor: Addiction and Bullying
cammiem8's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
3.75
I did feel for Rachel at parts, but her narrative was just shy of the self awareness I’d want from a book like this. She glosses over the privileges that she had that allowed her to survive Anna’s scam, and her irresponsible actions that led her to this problem in the first place. Like I truly don’t understand how after having her card held at the hotel because Anna’s declined, she thought she could expect Anna to cover the bill at the extremely expensive outing they took right after? As a person with a severe anxiety disorder, I really felt sorry for her when she described how physically affected she was by the stress of the events of this book, but materially, she’s just fine and even better than she was when she got scammed. She writes well but I wish I could have seen more genuine self reflection in her memoir.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
runrina11's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Alcoholism and Self harm
chronicallyplotting's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
2.0
<This book was very challenging to want to keep reading. The base story is interesting, don’t get me wrong. But the author spends so much time going into her elaborate lifestyle even apart from the scam. Almost feels at times like Rachel is bragging about her high needed life. The author complains about the financial stress of it all but in the same paragraph she takes a family vacation and other lavish expenses that a person who is out thousands probably shouldn’t take. The book was Very heavy on descriptions and added details that took away from the story.
This book ended up feeling like it was rushed and is a cover up to try to make her involvement look less than it was. When she willingly paid for parts of the trip, volunteering her cards and going on a trip like that should come with some liability of cost. I definitely feel like this book was the authors attempt to smooth out her image. >
This book ended up feeling like it was rushed and is a cover up to try to make her involvement look less than it was. When she willingly paid for parts of the trip, volunteering her cards and going on a trip like that should come with some liability of cost. I definitely feel like this book was the authors attempt to smooth out her image. >
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol
uhhlexiconic's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
fast-paced
3.75
Delving into her own story with a con artist allows Rachel Deloache Williams to show how anyone can be taken for a ride. Funny in its show of excess and audaciousness without losing sympathy for the person who conned her, this book stands head and shoulders over the netflix series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic friendship