Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

48 reviews

jegulus4life's review against another edition

It was a free book on audible so I didn’t really know anything when I started it at first I was sure that it wasn’t going to go where it went. apparently I naively thought a familial bond was what the relationship was and just became more and more shocked. Once I got about half way through it became very clear this grooming/p*do thing was what the author intended. I looked up the book because I genuinely thought I must be missing something as surely the book would eventually condemn the relationship. It look me a while to even find anyone saying anything about the ages and when I did most people said it it doesn’t shift and show how inappropriate, unethical, and frankly disgusting it is so I immediately returned it. Don’t be tricked by the star ratings on goodreads ect.  ig this is a lesson to look up books before I read them

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Emotional abuse, Rape, Pedophilia, Drug abuse, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Sexual violence, Child abuse, and Mental illness

mapillski's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Drug use, Adult/minor relationship, Violence, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Cancer and Suicidal thoughts

bookzima's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship

It's not really a love story as the book description seems to characterize-it may be a story of love between a child and a fully grown adult that goes from parental to sexual, with a lot of needless graphic detail provided. Disturbing yet compelling read.

juliesbooksandbujo's review

dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Death, Drug use, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Addiction, Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Physical abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Murder, Pedophilia, Blood, Child abuse, Eating disorder, and Rape

oriana095's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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: Blood, Drug abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Cursing, Murder, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Racism, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Addiction, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

wyabook234's review

challenging dark emotional medium-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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Death, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Drug abuse

tcrivera12's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Grief, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

freadman666's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Violence, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Blood, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Car accident, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

bootsmom3's review

challenging dark emotional sad slow-paced

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Body shaming, Mental illness, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Murder, Sexual violence, Addiction, Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Physical abuse

happilywilted's review

dark emotional slow-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

1.5

What a horrendous read. I hated every second of it. I wanted to like it, I really tried. It was good writing, and drew me in, but had a terrible romance plot that I could've done without. 
The only characters I didn't dislike were Donal, Leslie, and Darrin, the guy that Renee dates at the end.
I spent the whole book wondering if the author was for or against grooming and sexual abuse, as she writes the perspective of both supporters and people against the two main characters being together, but at the end of the book on the authors note she talks about how making them not platonic was the only option and tries to justify it in some way.
Every page made me deeply uncomfortable in a way that I haven't felt since I read Lolita in 2019, which isn't surprising, because the author recommends Lolita as saying it is similar. Horrid.
I hated Kellen so much, as he was a groomer and child molester. I could’ve done without reading the descriptions of his smell, his sweat, and the graphic sexual descriptions of him, an adult, touching Wavy. I had bought this book back in October after it had somehow gotten in to my TBR pile on Goodreads, and I bought it having read no spoilers, just seeing that it was a "beautiful and provocative love story". Well, it was provocative, but it wasn't anywhere close to beautiful or a love story. It was a story about a groomer who sexually assaults a child and makes her think that the relationship they had was a family and safe. But really, he was a creeper. 
I despised reading Amy saying that Wavy wanted him to touch her, as if that excuses what he did to her at thirteen. Also, the judge taking back the protective order because Wavy said she was a "real person". As if being real excuses a pedophile and allows him to contact his victim. 
I mean, they met when she was eight. When they first met, he was described as a giant and I was confused because I assumed this was the guy in the love story, and wondered how a child could be giant, when much to my chagrin I found out he was around twenty years old. I wish the age gap could've been at least just four years if she wanted him to be arrested for what he did to further the plot.
I almost DNF'd, but since I owned the book, I wanted to give it a chance, but every page of people ignoring the grooming and allowing it to continue pissed me off and made me almost throw the book across the room. Also, mama didn't raise no quitter.
Thankfully, now I'm done, and can attempt to scrub my brain clean of this frustrating and uncomfortable read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Vomit, Drug use, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Pedophilia, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Sexual content, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Child abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship