Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Watch Over Me by Nina LaCour

24 reviews

mapscitiesandsongs's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Wow, what a special read! But damn, the last chapter was so emotional. To be honest, I wasn't really too fond of it during the first half. I kept thinking that something shady was going on on that farm and it kind of distracted me a bit from the actual topic of the book. I also think that I had the wrong expectations going into the book. I was waiting for a bigger punch, but it never really came. Instead the book was a gentle  exploration about trauma, grief and loneliness, which I wasn't expecting. Truly beautiful nonetheless! The reveal was masterfully done and tore at my heart strings. The way Nina LaCour writes about loneliness, trauma and grief is spectacular. A truly special book! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Death, Domestic abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Vomit and Blood

mswarning's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

3.75

 It felt a bit short and was over very quickly. There's a point where Mila wants to savor something and not rush things, and I wish that had been allowed to happen. Maybe the payoff would have been more substantial. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Death, and Abandonment

Moderate: Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Grief

Minor: Blood, Alcohol, Animal death, and Car accident

thecasualbooknerd's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

A heartbreakingly beautiful story about facing your ghosts and coming to terms with past trauma. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Child abuse

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Abandonment

Minor: Murder and Death of parent

mmirjamm's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse

kweaver_pdx's review

emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Child abuse

Minor: Vomit

nextkt's review

dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

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

5.0

I ate this book up. It felt almost like a Charlie Kaufman film, a dreamy backdrop and a very human story with the creeping suspicion in the back of your head that something is wrong. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Vomit

house_of_hannah's review

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This was a very comforting read. I rather enjoyed how Nina LaCour spun this tale, and her writing feels cozy. I definitely want to check out her previous books. 

This book gets right into the story, and there isn't a lot of fluff here. Not much actually happens, as it has to do with how the character's work out their feelings about their pasts. I loved reading about the family that Mila was working for, and becoming a part of, though. They just seemed so sweet and supportive. It made me wish I had a family like that. Haha. 

This is quite a quick read, but it's so haunting, beautiful, and cozy that I think it's perfect for this time of year. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Abandonment and Child abuse

Minor: Car accident, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail

sneezy_5000's review

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, and Death of parent

Minor: Car accident, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Drug abuse

brookey8888's review

dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

Honestly nothing like happened but a lot happened if that makes sense? I really liked how Grief was dealt with and discussed. I loved her relationship with Lee. Also Liz and Billy like I feel like that could be a poly situation which I wish could have been explored. As for the ghost I found that interesting and the way it was like explained. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Death, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

mossybean's review

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse