Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer

47 reviews

hjb_128's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Bullying, and Grief

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, Drug abuse, Death of parent, Death, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Child death, and Sexual violence

Minor: Racism

cheriejanette's review

emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

4.5

What a feel good story! I loved this, and I even got a bit teary eyed 🥺🥹 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Death of parent, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Child death, and Chronic illness

Minor: Child abuse, Bullying, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, Sexual assault, Terminal illness, Pregnancy, Cancer, Drug abuse, and Mental illness

kimveach's review

adventurous emotional hopeful 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

4.0

This was such a lovely book. I wish I could explain why I liked it so much, but it's really more of a feeling. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Medical content, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Miscarriage, Cancer, and Terminal illness

lillypad827's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

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

5.0

I absolutely loved this book. I devoured it in two days, stayed up til midnight two nights in a row to finish it. It had drama, intrigue, tragic backgrounds, love, and so much more. Gave me TJ Klune vibes, very heartfelt, and made me tear up at the end. Sometimes books that end with everything tied up neatly in a bow and everyone happy can fall flat for me, but not with this.

I wanted everyone to have a happy ending and that’s just what happened.

Definitely excited for the author’s second book to come out later this year!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent and Child death

Minor: Terminal illness, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Cancer, and Medical trauma

l1brarygirl's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious sad slow-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

1.5

 1.5 stars - I did shed a tear for that extra half a star....

I wasn't too aware of what this book was about and I read so many thrillers, that I kept expecting a twist that never came. I could NOT connect with the MC Lucy at all and it made it very difficult to stay engaged. I also just was creeped out by a lot of the adults actions in this book. 

I think Jack's actions were fatherly in the end but for most of it, I just was kinda icked out by his actions. I couldn't get over Lucy's obsession with Christopher (highly inappropriate behavior for a teacher). The weird attraction between Lucy & Hugo (I'm okay with large age gaps but not when you first meet your SO as a CHILD). I also think Lucy was very unfair to her sister and completely glossed over her grandparents taking care of her. Also a slap in the face that everyone else in this story got a HEA except her sister.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child death, Bullying, Child abuse, Medical content, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Cancer, Homophobia, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Miscarriage, Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Minor: Alcoholism, Incest, Pedophilia, and Pregnancy

caroliiineb's review against another edition

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death and Emotional abuse

Minor: Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Cancer, and Alcoholism

princessblueyes's review against another edition

hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Child death, Grief, Sexual assault, Child abuse, and Miscarriage

maddiehansen's review

fast-paced

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

2.5

The book was a more positive version of The Westing Game, but not executed as well. The depiction of the foster care system did not seem quite accurate, the relationship between a teacher's aid and a student was not safe, Capri-sun is clear, it covered many deep issues with mere mentions (miscarriage, PTSD, addiction, trauma, foster care system, adoption, rape, incest, abuse, alcoholism, miscarriage, poverty, disability, abandonment etc). It needed more research.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Pedophilia, Cancer, Death of parent, Child death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Abandonment, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Chronic illness, Rape, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, and Death

emilywemily6's review

hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

4.0

This was a lighthearted, wholesome, easy read. I liked the premise and the general storyline, and fell in love with Hugo and Jack. This book felt very juvenile though, like just a couple changes would have made this a middle grade novel. It touched briefly on a lot of heavy topics but I would have loved more depth and length in those discussions. I didn’t particularly care for Lucy, she also felt immature and irresponsible in a lot of ways- like I was reading about an 18 year old and not a 25/26 year old. Overall this book was sweet but could have been a knockout if it was handled with different aims.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, and Mental illness

Moderate: Cursing, Grief, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Medical trauma, Abandonment, Bullying, and Chronic illness

Minor: Miscarriage, Homophobia, Pedophilia, and Medical content

greatestheights's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful medium-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Child death, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Chronic illness, and Cancer