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The ‘Toxic Relationships in Literature’ Book Tag

Fictional relationships that were no good..

Welcome!

Well.. I intended to have a book review ready for you today but allergies have temporarily turned my brain to mush and writing anything comprehensible is damn near impossible. So, instead, I’ll be sharing a tag I made instead.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had discussions with friends, family, and fellow bloggers about just how much literature is made up of toxic relationships. It makes for great reading but still.. maybe it can be more. Maybe these stories can be warning signs, teachers, and guides. Maybe by sharing these very different kinds of damaging associations with one another we can learn to do better—for ourselves and our loved ones.
Or maybe we’ll just find some interesting reads and hey, there’s nothing wrong with that.

Rules:

  • Thank the creator and link back to their page @ ReadBetwixtWords
  • Answer each question with a book you’ve read—No TBRs
  • Have fun with it by adding links, images, gifs, and more!
  • Tag 5 others (optional)

Enjoy!

(Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. Any purchases made through my links may earn me a small commission at no additional cost to you.)

Lover
A romance that wasn’t at all healthy:

The Queen of All That Dies by Laura Thalassa

In the future, the world is at war.

For the last decade, King Lazuli of the Eastern Empire has systematically taken over the world. No one knows much about him other than a series of impossible facts: he cannot die, he has not aged since the conflict began, and he wants to rule the world.

All Serenity Freeman has known is bloodshed. War has taken away her mother, her home, her safety. As the future emissary of the Western United Nations, the last autonomous region of the globe, she is responsible for forging alliances where she can.

Surrender is on the horizon. The king can taste it; Serenity feels it deep within her bones. There is no other option. Now the two must come face to face. For Serenity, that means confronting the man who’s taken everything from her. For the king, it means meeting the one woman he can’t conquer. But when they meet, something happens. Cruelty finds redemption.

Only in war, everything comes with a price. Especially love.

Father
A fictional dad that, frankly, sucks:

The Darkness We Crave by Katie May

Most people don’t think about where they’re going to be when the world ends. On the beach drinking margaritas? In the arms of a lover?

How about in a shit-ass resort run by your shit-ass parents?

I have always lived my life as the perfect daughter. At seventeen, I had no other option than to follow my parents’ strict regiment. Did I mention that they’re assholes?

The world didn’t decide to suddenly end. Oh no, that would be too easy. Instead, it was a series of events that led to its eventual demise. Earthquakes, tornados, and a mysterious virus that turned people into raving lunatics. Fortunately for me, I have the help of seven handsome men to combat the coming storm. Literally.

Declan, an enigma from my past. Ryder, a flirty musician. Asher, the sweetest boy I had ever met and probably the only one that I don’t want to kick in the balls. Tamson, shy and timid, with a past I’m aching to uncover. Ronan, my sarcastic leprechaun. Fallon, the stoic leader. And, finally, Calax (but he doesn’t really matter because I kind of hate him and want him to fall on his head and die).

I will have to learn to rely on these boys and myself if we’re going to survive the apocalypse.

Mother
This mom won’t be winning any awards:

Under Her Care by Lucinda Berry

On a humid summer day in Alabama, a mayor’s wife turns up brutally murdered under a railroad bridge. Standing next to her body is fourteen-year-old Mason Hill, the autistic son of former Miss USA Genevieve Hill. The locals are quick to level their verdict on young Mason: he did it.

The town detective calls in local autism expert Casey Walker to consult on the case. At first, Casey tries to keep an open mind. But the more time she spends with Genevieve, the more her unease grows, and she suspects that Genevieve is doing more than just protecting her son.

Casey’s misgivings surrounding Genevieve’s story only intensify when she meets Savannah, Genevieve’s nineteen-year-old daughter. Savannah, as it turns out, has some disturbing secrets of her own. But as Casey dives ever deeper into the Hill family dynamic, her search for the truth leads to another shocking murder—one that shatters her understanding of the human condition in ways she never imagined.

Son/Daughter
A child that displayed some seriously bad behavior:

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

MEET HANNA: Seven-year-old Hanna is a sweet-but-silent angel in the eyes of her adoring father Alex. He’s the only person who understands her. But her mother Suzette stands in her way, and she’ll try any trick she can think of to get rid of her. Ideally for good.

MEET SUZETTE: Suzette loves her daughter, but after years of expulsions and strained home schooling, her precarious health and sanity are weakening day by day. She’s also becoming increasingly frightened by Hanna’s little games, while her husband Alex remains blind to the failing family dynamics. Soon, Suzette starts to fear that maybe their supposedly innocent baby girl may have a truly sinister agenda.

Sibling
There’s sibling rivalry—and then there’s this:

The Hike by Susi Holliday

When sisters Cat and Ginny travel with their husbands to the idyllic Swiss Alps for a hiking holiday, it’s not just a chance to take in the stunning scenery. It’s an opportunity to reconnect with each other after years of drifting apart—and patch up marriages that are straining at the seams.

As they head into the mountains, morale is high, but as the terrain turns treacherous, cracks in the relationships start to show. With worrying signs that someone might be following them, the sun begins to set and exhaustion kicks in. Suddenly, lost high on a terrifying ridge, tensions spill over—with disastrous consequences.

When only two of the four hikers make it down from the mountain, the police press them for their story—but soon become suspicious when their accounts just don’t add up.

What really happened up on that ridge? Who are the survivors? And what secrets are they trying to hide?

Best Friend
A friendship that didn’t make sense:

After the Woods by Kim Savage

Would you risk your life to save your best friend? 

Julia did. When a paroled predator attacked Liv in the woods, Julia fought back and got caught. Liv ran, leaving Julia in the woods for a terrifying 48 hours that she remembers only in flashbacks.

One year later, Liv seems bent on self-destruction, starving herself, doing drugs, and hooking up with a violent new boyfriend. A dead girl turns up in those same woods, and Julia’s memories resurface alongside clues unearthed by an ambitious reporter that link the girl to Julia’s abductor.

As the devastating truth becomes clear, Julia realizes that after the woods was just the beginning.

Nemesis
A rivalry that was taken too far:

Shunned by Steffanie Holmes

I should have kept my mouth shut.
I should have let them win.
Now the kings of the school are out for my blood,
… and they’re not the only ones.


The fire took everything.
My parents. My best friend. My life.

Now I have a second chance.
I only have to endure one year at this prestigious academy for rich snobs.
One year of being the charity case no one wanted.
One year of taunts and insults and bullying. Then I’m free.

But I didn’t count on Trey, Ayaz, and Quinn.
Arrogant, privileged, dangerous.
Drop-dead gorgeous.
They want me gone.
They want me to suffer.
They’re determined to make my nightmares real.

Tough luck, bully boys – I won’t hide away.
I’m not afraid.
But maybe… I should be.

Role Model
A guardian, family member, teacher, etc.. who shouldn’t have been trusted:

Tethered to the World by Stacey Brutger

ONE TOUCH CAN SAVE YOU FROM CERTAIN DEATH…OR SENTENCE YOU TO AN ETERNITY IN HELL.

Born with the ability to defy death, Annora has been warned to keep her gift secret, but her greedy uncle can’t resist exploiting her by any means necessary. Starvation, beatings, broken bones—she’s survived them all and emerged stronger. But it’s not enough for him. It will never be enough. When she discovers her uncle plans to sell her to the highest bidder, she risks everything to escape the prison that has become her life.

The last thing she expected was to land at a university for supernaturals…or be paired with a pack of men as broken as her. As students go missing, Annora can’t get over the suspicion that she’s being hunted. To protect her, the guys must set aside their personal troubles and begin working as a team. But as her past collides with her present, she must make the ultimate sacrifice and expose her secrets to save the guys who’ve become more than family to her…and hope she’s strong enough to live with the consequences.

And that’s a wrap..
Thank you taking a moment to check out my tag, I know it’s not the most cheerful subject but they can’t all be butterflies and rainbows, yeah?
Anyone is welcome to jump in, in fact, I’m quite curious to see what books you would choose.

What’s your least favorite toxic trait?

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This Post Has One Comment

  1. Rosie Amber

    Not read any of these, but I think I’ve probably read some books which might fit some of the tag.

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