Reviews with content warning for Toxic relationship - The Inland Sea

Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

The Inland Sea by Madeleine Watts

6 reviews

carlytenille's review

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challenging dark emotional informative 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

3.25

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jackelz's review against another edition

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challenging reflective tense

Plot- or character-driven? Character

There is a lot of unpack here. I checked this one out from the library to satisfy a ‘climate change’ prompt, but this book is so much more than that.

I found the writing style very unique. The narrator is never named, and most of the people she interacted with had fictional names. There are tidbits about John Oxley (her ancestor), and his exploration of the Lachlan river to find an Inland Sea, randomly throughout the book.

The protagonist indulges in blackout drinking, unprotected sex, and hazardous hook ups with an ex. She works at Australia’s Triple Zero dispatch center answering phones, “Emergency police, fire, or ambulance.” I felt the helplessness she felt when she couldn’t connect the caller fast enough. We come to learn her thoughts and fears surrounding climate change, which are parallel to her habits of self destruction.

This book made me uncomfortable at times, but it will be one that sticks with me for a long time.

Content Warnings