Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

One Perfect Couple: Der New-York-Times-Bestseller | »Köstlich düster und absolut fesselnd.« LUCY FOLEY by Ruth Ware

67 reviews

amyradak's review against another edition

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

4.25

What an intense ride! Ruth Ware is the master of making a reader feel suspense on behalf of her characters. I felt the despair and anxiety right along with the stranded reality show contestants as their resources dwindled and the minor group tensions escalated to abject control and even
murder.
The setting was also very well portrayed and I felt like I could picture the island they were on.

But this book was more than just an engaging survival story with high stakes - the author tackled some serious 'meat' among the thriller elements.  Ware very deftly made a case for just how toxic a not-openly-racist/sexist-but-'just-asking-questions' podcast bro can be. I was impressed at how she so accurately portrayed a victim's perspective of the control, gaslighting, and misogyny Connor doled out. I found myself, along with the FMC, being able to not quite put my finger on how he was manipulating them, to the point where I almost questioned if I/the characters were really experiencing what they were. The author then also led me to feel fully enraged at Connor once it became clear that any ethical explanation for his withholding resources was gone, and it became clear he wasn't the rational, protective hero but a controlling abuser actively
plotting murder.
 

The book provided a satisfying resolution, but didn't tie things up with a pretty bow. Lila and the three other women
who survived the ordeal will forever be haunted with what happened on the island, and question what guilt, if any, they'll carry for causing Connor's death when it was ultimately a life-or-death situation for them. They'll also feel the weight of essentially canonizing such a sick twisted villian so that they can all continue to live the lives he tried to take from them.
Lots to continue to ponder on after finishing the book.

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sarahmeshille's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

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juliarochelleabroad's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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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embelle's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.25

This book definitely drew me in! The first 1/3 of the book was a bit slower, but then I couldn’t put it down and ended up reading 50% of the book in one sitting! The setting was extremely atmospheric, and Ware did a good job of keeping things tense all throughout the group’s efforts to survive. There were parts of the ending that felt a bit rushed and that I didn’t appreciate as much, but overall I had a really good time following our cast of characters along their survival journey!
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lazybooklover's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
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crimsonsparrow's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No

3.5

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taylormoore's review against another edition

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

2.75

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wickedgrumpy's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

Rather repetitive and predictable, but I also kind of expected that somehow.
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reenbeanreads's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I always find thrillers to be pretty digestible, and this was no different. I housed the whole book in one sitting. I was impressed that I only figured out the twist a couple of pages before it happened. I did find the narrator's lamentations about academia to hit a little too close to home to be enjoyable. 
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gmrl1107's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • 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

4.25

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