Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Vita Nostra by Sergey Dyachenko, Marina Dyachenko

4 reviews

libellumartinae's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional inspiring tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Alright, they got me.

I love Eastern Europe fantasy because it has such an unhinged and folkloristic vibe to it and it represented it down to a t and although I still don't know what truly this book was about (but I can wholly appreciate the beauty of the whole world-building and magic system) I can't help but ugh... absolutely love the journey that it brought me through.

A few problematic: the characters aside the mc were quite forgettable, the parts not being divided in chapters were a tad too much at points and finally the mc constantly being called out for being the best was just ugh a tad too much.
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naomi_k's review against another edition

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

4.0

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mariebrunelm's review against another edition

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challenging dark mysterious reflective 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

This book felt like two in one. On the one hand it was a fascinating, fantastical story about a young woman joining a school not completely of her own free will, but finding her true self there. On the other, there was a panel of insufferable high schools students riddled with societal injonctions and prejudices. It made me quite uncomfortable, reminding me of my own high school years. I wish that the characters had been more nuanced to echo the beautiful complexity of the main part of the novel, which is about this strange institute and what it teaches. That side of the story had a dream-like quality. It was quite compelling! 

PS: there wasn't a shred of representation but I don't know how inclusive Russia is in general so I won't make assumptions. 

TW not included below: slut-shaming *and* virginity-shaming (I told you it was about mean teenagers...) 
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sarah984's review

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challenging dark mysterious slow-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? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed this book. It feels like you are going through Sasha’s metamorphosis alongside her. I feel like this must have been a beast to translate, considering how much of it is about language and very abstract concepts. Still, overall it was clear and evocative but emotional. Unlike many others here, I loved the ending. 

I docked a star because some of the sexual violence/coercion early in the book felt really unnecessary (with Lisa most of all, but the part where Sasha basically has to lose her virginity for homework too). If you can stomach that though, and you're interested in a strange cerebral story about a person growing beyond her limit, you might enjoy this.
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