Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

191 reviews

dkamada's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense

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

4.0

Little too creepy for me personally

I also feel like the title is a kind of spoiler. Like from the first time we start hearing Josie’s story, we expect everything she says to be a lie. Not sure if that was what the author was intending but I think the payoff of the twists would have been higher if I hadn’t had that expectation going in

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Stalking, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Toxic friendship

toorsdenote's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

kousseii's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

An easy read, very engaging and kept me guessing.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder

Minor: Death, Grief, and Death of parent

janchamp's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Minor: Blood, Grief, and Pandemic/Epidemic

emilybacher'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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Confinement

dhanon's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Stalking, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Child abuse and Confinement

Minor: Violence

ellic23's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia

mairi99's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Animal death

suchallie's review against another edition

dark 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

2.0

This was a quick and easy read, it was easy to get into and it really picked up on the last half of the book. I think the concept and structure are fairly novel and they work here, however I wasn’t a fan of the theme of gaslighting victims of abuse (regardless whether the abuse in the plot was true in the universe or not this isn’t necessarily a narrative we need to be pushing). Also the fact that Walter is deemed as imperfect and not villainous by the end despite being an actual pedophile and just all around creep is pretty nuts. Sorry, but I don’t care if he is a good dad, he’s still a pedophile?? I would have liked a spicier ending as well with Josie. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Pedophilia, Grief, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Excrement, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Drug use, Eating disorder, and Injury/Injury detail

voilajean's review against another edition

1.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Incest, Toxic relationship, Violence, Murder, and Toxic friendship