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Toxic
BRAND NEW, Exactly same ISBN as listed, Please double check ISBN carefully before ordering.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2018
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241 people want to read
About the author
Nicci Cloke
10 books124 followersNicci Cloke is the author of eight novels, including two under the pseudonym Phoebe Locke. Her books have been published in twelve languages.
She previously worked as a nanny, a cocktail waitress and a Christmas Elf to support her writing. Before being published, she worked as a permissions manager, looking after literary estates including those of Sylvia Plath, Ted Hughes and T. S. Eliot, and was also communications manager at the Faber Academy.
She previously worked as a nanny, a cocktail waitress and a Christmas Elf to support her writing. Before being published, she worked as a permissions manager, looking after literary estates including those of Sylvia Plath, Ted Hughes and T. S. Eliot, and was also communications manager at the Faber Academy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 89 reviews
July 26, 2018
"Toxic" is the story of Hope who has been made an honorary lad in order to be permitted to travel with friends on holiday. She is not just with a group of male friends but her ex- boyfriend Logan is present too. In the beginning everything is as she had both hoped and expected - long lazy days spent in the sun and lounging by the swimming pool, long drunken conversations, and reconnection with Logan. However, after having attended a party on a boat, Hope is awoken by two complete strangers on the beach and cannot remember anything about what had happened to her. What exactly has occurred and why isn't one of the boys with her to check she is okay? Does this absence mean that they know what happened to her or that they were responsible for it themselves somehow?
From what I can gather there are many people who have mistaken this for a light summery read, especially due to the cover art being of a woman floating on an inflatable in the pool. It is far from a throwaway read though as it broaches important subjects such as sexual assault, homophobia and depression to name but a few. The bulk of the story, however, focuses on toxic masculinity. It explores this topic in remarkable depth and breaks down some of the lads identifiable behaviours as contributing to the "lad culture" and talks about rape culture too. Although it did become a little heavy it does discuss important and timely topics and does so in a brave and fearless way, which I admired.
All in all, the messages here are essential and timely ones and I feel we are underestimating the effect this toxicity has on our lives and how men should be the first ones to recognise when they are heading down this damaging road. We still need to encourage men to talk more and to know that it isn't something to get embarrassed about. This is the only way we will move forward and make significant progress but we still have a very long way to go it appears. I haven't read another book that explores toxic masculinity so painstakingly and I would welcome more titles that highlight this as an important issue of our time. I am going to have a look at Cloke's previous publications and will be purchasing what sounds intriguing to me to enjoy soon.
Many thanks to Bonnier Zaffre/Hot Key Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
From what I can gather there are many people who have mistaken this for a light summery read, especially due to the cover art being of a woman floating on an inflatable in the pool. It is far from a throwaway read though as it broaches important subjects such as sexual assault, homophobia and depression to name but a few. The bulk of the story, however, focuses on toxic masculinity. It explores this topic in remarkable depth and breaks down some of the lads identifiable behaviours as contributing to the "lad culture" and talks about rape culture too. Although it did become a little heavy it does discuss important and timely topics and does so in a brave and fearless way, which I admired.
All in all, the messages here are essential and timely ones and I feel we are underestimating the effect this toxicity has on our lives and how men should be the first ones to recognise when they are heading down this damaging road. We still need to encourage men to talk more and to know that it isn't something to get embarrassed about. This is the only way we will move forward and make significant progress but we still have a very long way to go it appears. I haven't read another book that explores toxic masculinity so painstakingly and I would welcome more titles that highlight this as an important issue of our time. I am going to have a look at Cloke's previous publications and will be purchasing what sounds intriguing to me to enjoy soon.
Many thanks to Bonnier Zaffre/Hot Key Books for an ARC. I was not required to post a review and all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
May 6, 2018
This was literally a story about friendship turned toxic, centering around one girl on holiday with a group of lads, one night where things go horribly wrong and the fractured relationships within the core group start to show.
On holiday, too much drink, too much sun, a loosening of inhibitions, all leads to disaster. Every one of them is hiding a secret from that night, whether they remember or not. Nicci Cloke dissects her characters with an authentic ironic eye and a brutal realism about human nature and how we don't really know people until the chips are down.
Toxic is beautifully readable even as you roll your eyes at some of the enabling behaviour and the assumptions of forgiveness. The casual way they all treat each other quite often badly is actually very true to life, within any friendship group you'll find divisions such as you find in this story.
It was a good warning against excessive intake of alcohol for sure and a very relevant theme in it's plot - overall very good indeed. Recommended.
On holiday, too much drink, too much sun, a loosening of inhibitions, all leads to disaster. Every one of them is hiding a secret from that night, whether they remember or not. Nicci Cloke dissects her characters with an authentic ironic eye and a brutal realism about human nature and how we don't really know people until the chips are down.
Toxic is beautifully readable even as you roll your eyes at some of the enabling behaviour and the assumptions of forgiveness. The casual way they all treat each other quite often badly is actually very true to life, within any friendship group you'll find divisions such as you find in this story.
It was a good warning against excessive intake of alcohol for sure and a very relevant theme in it's plot - overall very good indeed. Recommended.
August 1, 2018
Depression, teenage drinking and abuse; some heavy topics converge in Toxic, a novel by Nicci Cloke that could have been the ultimate YA summer read, but just wasn’t.
Again, this was one of those cases where my expectations not only didn’t meet reality, but weren’t even close. Based on the blurb I thought there will be some mystery surrounding the unfortunate events that befell poor Hope who went on a “lad’s holiday” and got thoroughly fucked up. But no, sir!
Toxic is basically a collection of three stories involving Hope, Logan and Daisy, that blur into each other through the characters’ slightly messed up relationship to one another.
The only reason why I don’t think Toxic is a complete waste of space and time is because it touches upon some important topics that are relatable whether you are a teenager, like our main characters, an adult, or a parent of a teen. Is getting hammered really the best way to have a good time? If you can’t talk to your best friend about personal stuff, is he really your best friend? What if the worst bully in your life is not an asshole from school, but one of your parents? What is consent?
For Hope, Logan, Zack and the other guys in this story having a good time means getting absolutely smashed, often to the point of passing out. If nobody puked their guts out during a party, the night was not successful. I’m not sure where this idea comes from, but I must say, I encountered this sort of opinion way more often ever since I moved to England. The amount of people who considers getting stupid drunk a success and are actually proud of it are just alarmingly high, and I’m not talking about only teenagers, but some of my colleagues also share this sentiment. Mind boggling, really…
After one of these parties poor Hope ends up on the beach, completely alone. What happened to her? She has no clue, and her “friends” are no help either, simply because they abandoned her. Some friends, eh? The mystery is never solved, and it’s up to her to come to terms with it. Tough titties, but so often in life this is just how things are. It’s up to you to learn from your mistakes.
If you are still confused whether I actually liked this book or not, you are not alone. On one hand, the stories could have carried more power if they hadn’t gotten lost into tiny details, like for example the very detailed list of alcoholic drinks these kids guzzled down on a daily basis was quite unnecessary, or shit like having to spend some time trying to figure out what were text messages between characters and what are only their personal thoughts, because there was no indication of who’s texting, and it got a bit too much when they were on the group chat. Like, maybe using italics would help. No? But on the other hand, I think Nicci Cloke managed to capture the essence of being a teenager very well. You know, the classic “I have no idea what I’m doing but I won’t ask for help, because reasons“. We’ve all been there.
Depression, attempted rape and how some people treat gay people were handled really well, and yay for the author for not falling into the trap we’ve probably all seen, where mental illness is magically cured, or the bully suddenly turns into a nice guy just because happy endings are cute. Just like in real life, some characters will remain assholes and refuse to see just how wrong they are, and make friends with other assholes who validate their opinions, some will learn how to live with some shit that happened to them, while others will realize there’s no harm in being honest with the people who are there to help them.
While this book was far from being wow, there are some great messages hidden under all that rabble, and considering how short it is, you might just want to give it a try.
Again, this was one of those cases where my expectations not only didn’t meet reality, but weren’t even close. Based on the blurb I thought there will be some mystery surrounding the unfortunate events that befell poor Hope who went on a “lad’s holiday” and got thoroughly fucked up. But no, sir!
Toxic is basically a collection of three stories involving Hope, Logan and Daisy, that blur into each other through the characters’ slightly messed up relationship to one another.
The only reason why I don’t think Toxic is a complete waste of space and time is because it touches upon some important topics that are relatable whether you are a teenager, like our main characters, an adult, or a parent of a teen. Is getting hammered really the best way to have a good time? If you can’t talk to your best friend about personal stuff, is he really your best friend? What if the worst bully in your life is not an asshole from school, but one of your parents? What is consent?
For Hope, Logan, Zack and the other guys in this story having a good time means getting absolutely smashed, often to the point of passing out. If nobody puked their guts out during a party, the night was not successful. I’m not sure where this idea comes from, but I must say, I encountered this sort of opinion way more often ever since I moved to England. The amount of people who considers getting stupid drunk a success and are actually proud of it are just alarmingly high, and I’m not talking about only teenagers, but some of my colleagues also share this sentiment. Mind boggling, really…
After one of these parties poor Hope ends up on the beach, completely alone. What happened to her? She has no clue, and her “friends” are no help either, simply because they abandoned her. Some friends, eh? The mystery is never solved, and it’s up to her to come to terms with it. Tough titties, but so often in life this is just how things are. It’s up to you to learn from your mistakes.
If you are still confused whether I actually liked this book or not, you are not alone. On one hand, the stories could have carried more power if they hadn’t gotten lost into tiny details, like for example the very detailed list of alcoholic drinks these kids guzzled down on a daily basis was quite unnecessary, or shit like having to spend some time trying to figure out what were text messages between characters and what are only their personal thoughts, because there was no indication of who’s texting, and it got a bit too much when they were on the group chat. Like, maybe using italics would help. No? But on the other hand, I think Nicci Cloke managed to capture the essence of being a teenager very well. You know, the classic “I have no idea what I’m doing but I won’t ask for help, because reasons“. We’ve all been there.
Depression, attempted rape and how some people treat gay people were handled really well, and yay for the author for not falling into the trap we’ve probably all seen, where mental illness is magically cured, or the bully suddenly turns into a nice guy just because happy endings are cute. Just like in real life, some characters will remain assholes and refuse to see just how wrong they are, and make friends with other assholes who validate their opinions, some will learn how to live with some shit that happened to them, while others will realize there’s no harm in being honest with the people who are there to help them.
While this book was far from being wow, there are some great messages hidden under all that rabble, and considering how short it is, you might just want to give it a try.
July 12, 2018
Disclaimer: I received this free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
Hope has been made an ‘honorary lad’ and has been invited along on a lads holiday with her group of friends. Things are a bit complicated though as Hope’s ex-boyfriend, Logan, is there with her as well. The next couple of days are exactly what she was hoping for – lazy days by the pool, long drunken conversations, and reconnecting with her ex-boyfriend. However, after a boat party, Hope is being woken by two strangers on the beach and she can’t remember a thing… what happened?
Toxic was actually a very… surprising read. I have to be honest, I did have some pretty low expectations going into this, mainly due to the average Goodreads rating of 3.2. (I KNOW, I KNOW, when will I learn not to judge a book based on Goodreads ratings!) But Toxic is actually an impressive book. As the title suggests, Toxic is a book about toxic masculinity and it delves pretty deep into it. When I first started reading it and I was thrown into this ‘lad’s holiday’, I must admit it seemed like an actual horror movie. *shivers* I was really worried that it was just going to be a book about these lads being horrible people and never suffering any consequences. But, Toxic actually took a surprising turn. It started to dismantle this toxic behaviour, it discussed ‘lad culture’ and rape culture.
It’s about male friendships and how toxic they can be to each other, to society, and to women. How toxic this ‘man up’ business is and how detrimental it can be to mental health. It’s an important book that really surprised me by how deep it delved into toxic masculinity. It gives some pretty important messages about how men need to call each other out more, and how men need to be able to talk to each other, and how rape is rape no matter how you try to frame it. It’s by no means perfect but I’ve not read any other books that discuss toxic masculinity in such a way and it is refreshing.
Despite the cover, it isn’t a light read and I do want to give some trigger warnings for sexual assault, assault, homophobia, and depression.
Overall, Toxic is a book that I initially had reservations about but was pleasantly surprised by. It had some pretty important messages and some pretty great characters. I would highly recommend if you are looking for a book that discusses toxic masculinity.
Hope has been made an ‘honorary lad’ and has been invited along on a lads holiday with her group of friends. Things are a bit complicated though as Hope’s ex-boyfriend, Logan, is there with her as well. The next couple of days are exactly what she was hoping for – lazy days by the pool, long drunken conversations, and reconnecting with her ex-boyfriend. However, after a boat party, Hope is being woken by two strangers on the beach and she can’t remember a thing… what happened?
Toxic was actually a very… surprising read. I have to be honest, I did have some pretty low expectations going into this, mainly due to the average Goodreads rating of 3.2. (I KNOW, I KNOW, when will I learn not to judge a book based on Goodreads ratings!) But Toxic is actually an impressive book. As the title suggests, Toxic is a book about toxic masculinity and it delves pretty deep into it. When I first started reading it and I was thrown into this ‘lad’s holiday’, I must admit it seemed like an actual horror movie. *shivers* I was really worried that it was just going to be a book about these lads being horrible people and never suffering any consequences. But, Toxic actually took a surprising turn. It started to dismantle this toxic behaviour, it discussed ‘lad culture’ and rape culture.
It’s about male friendships and how toxic they can be to each other, to society, and to women. How toxic this ‘man up’ business is and how detrimental it can be to mental health. It’s an important book that really surprised me by how deep it delved into toxic masculinity. It gives some pretty important messages about how men need to call each other out more, and how men need to be able to talk to each other, and how rape is rape no matter how you try to frame it. It’s by no means perfect but I’ve not read any other books that discuss toxic masculinity in such a way and it is refreshing.
Despite the cover, it isn’t a light read and I do want to give some trigger warnings for sexual assault, assault, homophobia, and depression.
Overall, Toxic is a book that I initially had reservations about but was pleasantly surprised by. It had some pretty important messages and some pretty great characters. I would highly recommend if you are looking for a book that discusses toxic masculinity.
November 7, 2018
*3.5 stars*
Thanks to Allen & Unwin Australia for sending me a copy of TOXIC for review!
Don't let the cover of this book fool you. It is not a cutesy/romantic/summery read. It tackles topics of rape, sexual assault, mental health, abuse, homophobia, and toxic relationships. Although I did not expect this, and it was really heavy at times, it discussed these topics in an honest way.
The timeline that the story is told in is kind of weird and I feel like I was never able to adjust to it. It's divided into three parts told from three different perspectives: first Hope, then her ex-boyfriend Logan, and lastly his new girlfriend Daisy. Hope's section was the longest, and I enjoyed hers the most, so it was disappointing when I turned the page and realised the whole book wasn't going to be told from her, and when I reached the end and realised that I wouldn't get to hear her final thoughts on the story. By the time I got to Daisy's section, I wasn't invested as much because I didn't know much about her character, and it felt weird to only understand her thoughts toward the end. I definitely would've enjoyed the book a lot more if it focused just on Hope's story and her perspective.
The author did a really good job at capturing the thoughts, feelings, and life of being a teenager. From the tough topics I described before, to the party life, to relationships, to drinking; these are things that I'm sure a lot of teenagers can relate to, or have experienced at some point. Also, the way she tackled the toxic masculinity felt really real and honest. It breaks down the these behaviours that are almost "expected" of boys; from the saying "boys will be boys", but also on the other end of the scale, taking about depression in men and how they are expected to keep their emotions to themselves.
Overall, TOXIC is a great story that focuses on important themes and aspects of being a teenager, while not sugar coating anything. Although it wasn't what I was expecting, and my enjoyment decreased as I continued reading the book, I think the themes are important to understand and spread word on.
Thanks to Allen & Unwin Australia for sending me a copy of TOXIC for review!
Don't let the cover of this book fool you. It is not a cutesy/romantic/summery read. It tackles topics of rape, sexual assault, mental health, abuse, homophobia, and toxic relationships. Although I did not expect this, and it was really heavy at times, it discussed these topics in an honest way.
The timeline that the story is told in is kind of weird and I feel like I was never able to adjust to it. It's divided into three parts told from three different perspectives: first Hope, then her ex-boyfriend Logan, and lastly his new girlfriend Daisy. Hope's section was the longest, and I enjoyed hers the most, so it was disappointing when I turned the page and realised the whole book wasn't going to be told from her, and when I reached the end and realised that I wouldn't get to hear her final thoughts on the story. By the time I got to Daisy's section, I wasn't invested as much because I didn't know much about her character, and it felt weird to only understand her thoughts toward the end. I definitely would've enjoyed the book a lot more if it focused just on Hope's story and her perspective.
The author did a really good job at capturing the thoughts, feelings, and life of being a teenager. From the tough topics I described before, to the party life, to relationships, to drinking; these are things that I'm sure a lot of teenagers can relate to, or have experienced at some point. Also, the way she tackled the toxic masculinity felt really real and honest. It breaks down the these behaviours that are almost "expected" of boys; from the saying "boys will be boys", but also on the other end of the scale, taking about depression in men and how they are expected to keep their emotions to themselves.
Overall, TOXIC is a great story that focuses on important themes and aspects of being a teenager, while not sugar coating anything. Although it wasn't what I was expecting, and my enjoyment decreased as I continued reading the book, I think the themes are important to understand and spread word on.
December 17, 2021
[Actual rating: 1.5 stars]
This review is long overdue but quite necessary (if I do say so myself). I’ve read a Nicci Cloke novel before, Follow Me Back and I was not blown away with it. But after reading Toxic’s blurb I was intrigued as this looked like a novel with mystery, murder and betrayal.
I was so disappointed…
I had a lot of problems with this book. Firstly I had no idea that this book featured multiple POVs. While I feel like this could have been a good thing, I honestly didn’t like it and I kept getting confused. Daisy POV was the one I was most looking forward to but it all just felt like an afterthought.
Let’s talk about the trigger warnings.
This book featured a character with depression, which I appreciate with all my heart, especially because I can relate to it and because I struggle with mental health issues. This book, however, hardly portrayed depression in a good light and I felt as though it was not dealt with enough.
Underaged drinking. Now this one really got on my nerves because it wasn’t occasional drinking. This book was practically all about drinking and puking and partying. It is not okay for teenagers to be drinking so much, let alone adults.
Oh my word, let’s talk about the characters. ANNOYING, ANNOYING, ANNOYING. The characters in this novel made me so frustrated. They were either too good or too bad.
Like can we please have a balance.
The boys all fell under one category and one mould, bad, bad and bad. And everyone envied Hope because all the boys were her pals…turns ours that they weren’t.
The plot line was pretty useless. Drunk teenagers going on holiday and then the result when they come back home. It’s really nothing interesting, I promise. Don’t waste your time. Anyway, I’m glad this one is over but this review doesn’t say enough about my feelings on this novel, I wish I could say more but the spoilers are watching me (what does this sentence even mean!?).
This review is long overdue but quite necessary (if I do say so myself). I’ve read a Nicci Cloke novel before, Follow Me Back and I was not blown away with it. But after reading Toxic’s blurb I was intrigued as this looked like a novel with mystery, murder and betrayal.
I was so disappointed…
I had a lot of problems with this book. Firstly I had no idea that this book featured multiple POVs. While I feel like this could have been a good thing, I honestly didn’t like it and I kept getting confused. Daisy POV was the one I was most looking forward to but it all just felt like an afterthought.
Let’s talk about the trigger warnings.
This book featured a character with depression, which I appreciate with all my heart, especially because I can relate to it and because I struggle with mental health issues. This book, however, hardly portrayed depression in a good light and I felt as though it was not dealt with enough.
Underaged drinking. Now this one really got on my nerves because it wasn’t occasional drinking. This book was practically all about drinking and puking and partying. It is not okay for teenagers to be drinking so much, let alone adults.
Oh my word, let’s talk about the characters. ANNOYING, ANNOYING, ANNOYING. The characters in this novel made me so frustrated. They were either too good or too bad.
Like can we please have a balance.
The boys all fell under one category and one mould, bad, bad and bad. And everyone envied Hope because all the boys were her pals…turns ours that they weren’t.
The plot line was pretty useless. Drunk teenagers going on holiday and then the result when they come back home. It’s really nothing interesting, I promise. Don’t waste your time. Anyway, I’m glad this one is over but this review doesn’t say enough about my feelings on this novel, I wish I could say more but the spoilers are watching me (what does this sentence even mean!?).
December 31, 2018
A hard one to decide how many stars to give. It took one hundred pages before anything actually happened in this book and considering it's less than 300 pages in total, that only leave 190.
The first 100 pages could easily have been daily diary entries from any young person's party holiday. Drunk friends, vomit and hangovers.. nothing more.
Once the secrets and suspicion showed it's face the story became ten times more interesting, but I can imagine readers DNF'ing this book before that point.
I enjoyed reading the various POVs, the book is split into three, however as the characters are so closely connected it was tricky remembering who's POV you were reading.
It's a relatively fun novel with a slight twist on your average young person's holiday. But it's not a novel I could wholeheartedly recommend unfortunately.
The first 100 pages could easily have been daily diary entries from any young person's party holiday. Drunk friends, vomit and hangovers.. nothing more.
Once the secrets and suspicion showed it's face the story became ten times more interesting, but I can imagine readers DNF'ing this book before that point.
I enjoyed reading the various POVs, the book is split into three, however as the characters are so closely connected it was tricky remembering who's POV you were reading.
It's a relatively fun novel with a slight twist on your average young person's holiday. But it's not a novel I could wholeheartedly recommend unfortunately.
July 7, 2018
Thank you to NetGalley for letting me read this one.
A timely look into toxic friendships and the damage we can do to each other in a myriad of ways.
What seems to be a good holiday kicks off a hotbed of issues for this seemingly tight-knit group of friends. Excessive drinking, drugs, rape, homophobia...and a bit of angst about exams/futures and family relationships.
From within these pages emerged some characters that you really couldn’t help but admire-Daisy, Nate and J.B. in particular.
There’s plenty to dislike, but it was certainly an interesting read and the shifting views made for a well-plotted reveal.
A timely look into toxic friendships and the damage we can do to each other in a myriad of ways.
What seems to be a good holiday kicks off a hotbed of issues for this seemingly tight-knit group of friends. Excessive drinking, drugs, rape, homophobia...and a bit of angst about exams/futures and family relationships.
From within these pages emerged some characters that you really couldn’t help but admire-Daisy, Nate and J.B. in particular.
There’s plenty to dislike, but it was certainly an interesting read and the shifting views made for a well-plotted reveal.
July 27, 2018
Hope is off on her first ever lads holiday. After the girls' holiday planning is a bust, she's pleased to be invited to go along with the lads to Crete. But when she wakes up on the beach after a night out and can't remember how she got there, she doesn't feel quite as grateful to her friends.
I really thought I had a good idea of how this book was going to go but there is a lot more to it than the cover description. Three different points of view, telling the three parts of the story, though each part could almost be a story in itself.
The author really captures the buzzy feeling of being young and away on holiday with your friends. Out partying, enjoying the nightlife and the sun drenched days at the beach or pool.
I really thought I had a good idea of how this book was going to go but there is a lot more to it than the cover description. Three different points of view, telling the three parts of the story, though each part could almost be a story in itself.
The author really captures the buzzy feeling of being young and away on holiday with your friends. Out partying, enjoying the nightlife and the sun drenched days at the beach or pool.
December 28, 2021
Welcome back to another review where I am sorely disappointed by a book. 😭
Hope is so excited to go on holiday with her guy friends. It’s going to be sun, sand and beer all day everyday, until Hope wakes up alone on the beach. Her friends have abandoned her and she doesn’t know what happened. Who needs enemies when your friends are…toxic?
I was expecting a summer read with a great big mystery mixed in. DO NOT BE FOOLED, IT IS NEITHER A SUMMER READ NOR A MYSTERY (okay there is a bit of summery content but that’s like for about 30% of the novel)
The novel starts off from Hope’s POV (I had no idea that there were going to be 3 POVs) and she’s on holiday with her guy friends and they just drink, sit by the pool, drink, drink a fishbowl, drink, shots, flirt, drink, vomit, drink, drink, drink. I also noticed the excessive amount of drinking becomes the so called ‘plot’ of Hope’s POV. Until they all go on a booze cruise (I know) and then Hope wakes up alone on the beach the next morning. We find out a little bit about why but WE NEVER REALLY FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED. They literally revealed something a little bit different but relating to what happened to Hope a couple of pages later but it was not what happened to Hope.
Then we meet Logan, who I had no idea had a POV. He was Hope’s ex and so I expected tension between them maybe some interesting things about what happened that night. BUT IT WASN’T LIKE THAT. Logan is a complete goody two shoes, he was the only one who cared blah, blah, blah. He also suffers from depression, which, yay, mental health rep but I just felt like there was absolutely no plot in Logan’s POV and it also felt dislocated from Hope’s POV, like they didn’t match. He also is really mean to Daisy and I get why but his part was boring. There was nothing really about that night and we don’t really get much content.
Then Daisy gets a POV, this annoyed me profusely because we barely see Daisy in the novel until this part. Daisy is really sweet and her part was a little more interesting than Logan’s but it still was very dragged out. I liked watching Daisy hang with her friends and what happened to her was horrible but she got a good ending. This too, felt completely dislocated from the other two POVs and dragged on a bit.
The whole book took too long to finish. Someone in the book also went missing and I was like, ‘Yay finally some mystery’ but alas, there was none. 😭 There was no mystery in this book. There was also a lot of drinking and the whole book was full of unnecessary stuff. I also hated how all the POVs didn’t really feel like they matched and I just got tired of this book after a while. 💕
Hope is so excited to go on holiday with her guy friends. It’s going to be sun, sand and beer all day everyday, until Hope wakes up alone on the beach. Her friends have abandoned her and she doesn’t know what happened. Who needs enemies when your friends are…toxic?
I was expecting a summer read with a great big mystery mixed in. DO NOT BE FOOLED, IT IS NEITHER A SUMMER READ NOR A MYSTERY (okay there is a bit of summery content but that’s like for about 30% of the novel)
The novel starts off from Hope’s POV (I had no idea that there were going to be 3 POVs) and she’s on holiday with her guy friends and they just drink, sit by the pool, drink, drink a fishbowl, drink, shots, flirt, drink, vomit, drink, drink, drink. I also noticed the excessive amount of drinking becomes the so called ‘plot’ of Hope’s POV. Until they all go on a booze cruise (I know) and then Hope wakes up alone on the beach the next morning. We find out a little bit about why but WE NEVER REALLY FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENED. They literally revealed something a little bit different but relating to what happened to Hope a couple of pages later but it was not what happened to Hope.
Then we meet Logan, who I had no idea had a POV. He was Hope’s ex and so I expected tension between them maybe some interesting things about what happened that night. BUT IT WASN’T LIKE THAT. Logan is a complete goody two shoes, he was the only one who cared blah, blah, blah. He also suffers from depression, which, yay, mental health rep but I just felt like there was absolutely no plot in Logan’s POV and it also felt dislocated from Hope’s POV, like they didn’t match. He also is really mean to Daisy and I get why but his part was boring. There was nothing really about that night and we don’t really get much content.
Then Daisy gets a POV, this annoyed me profusely because we barely see Daisy in the novel until this part. Daisy is really sweet and her part was a little more interesting than Logan’s but it still was very dragged out. I liked watching Daisy hang with her friends and what happened to her was horrible but she got a good ending. This too, felt completely dislocated from the other two POVs and dragged on a bit.
The whole book took too long to finish. Someone in the book also went missing and I was like, ‘Yay finally some mystery’ but alas, there was none. 😭 There was no mystery in this book. There was also a lot of drinking and the whole book was full of unnecessary stuff. I also hated how all the POVs didn’t really feel like they matched and I just got tired of this book after a while. 💕
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June 3, 2018Toxic is the story of a group of friends - all lads plus one girl - who go on holiday to Crete for a booze-fuelled holiday, only to have the events of the holiday cause their friendship circle to turn toxic and implode over the following weeks like a slow-motion car crash.
This book was really readable and I had no problem finishing it. It dealt with some really relevant issues, including, but not limited to: male mental health, drug and alcohol abuse, sexuality, toxic masculinity and sexual assault. All this was wrapped up in a plot that moved really quickly.
Disclaimer: I've never went on the type of holiday depicted in this book. However, I have seen TV programs like Ibiza Uncovered and Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents and the depiction of the holiday in this book was very realistic. It seemed completely horrible and literally the last place on earth I'd choose to go for a holiday, but yeah. Realistic.
The book is written in several parts, each narrated by a different character and while I often enjoy this structure I didn't feel that it worked very well here. The plot felt really disjointed and I put that down to the narration.
There were some interesting characters, but slightly flat. There was no one I really rooted for, but at the same time there was no one I really hated. I didn't really feel like I got to know them enough and again that was something to do with the narration. All three narrators told their story like a simple series of events and there was very little back-story or explanation as to why certain events might have been significant.
The book delved into some really meaty topics, but I wanted more closure from the events of the holiday. The plot moved along really well but the story arc wobbled and then fell flat once the group had returned to the UK. The awful things that happened on the holiday were barely referenced when they should have been the basis for the remainder of the story arc.
All in all this was an okay read but it didn't blow me away.
This book was really readable and I had no problem finishing it. It dealt with some really relevant issues, including, but not limited to: male mental health, drug and alcohol abuse, sexuality, toxic masculinity and sexual assault. All this was wrapped up in a plot that moved really quickly.
Disclaimer: I've never went on the type of holiday depicted in this book. However, I have seen TV programs like Ibiza Uncovered and Sun, Sex and Suspicious Parents and the depiction of the holiday in this book was very realistic. It seemed completely horrible and literally the last place on earth I'd choose to go for a holiday, but yeah. Realistic.
The book is written in several parts, each narrated by a different character and while I often enjoy this structure I didn't feel that it worked very well here. The plot felt really disjointed and I put that down to the narration.
There were some interesting characters, but slightly flat. There was no one I really rooted for, but at the same time there was no one I really hated. I didn't really feel like I got to know them enough and again that was something to do with the narration. All three narrators told their story like a simple series of events and there was very little back-story or explanation as to why certain events might have been significant.
The book delved into some really meaty topics, but I wanted more closure from the events of the holiday. The plot moved along really well but the story arc wobbled and then fell flat once the group had returned to the UK. The awful things that happened on the holiday were barely referenced when they should have been the basis for the remainder of the story arc.
All in all this was an okay read but it didn't blow me away.
July 7, 2018
Very different book to the things I would usually Pick up, but that being said I really enjoyed this!
Not a Book i would reread, so I haven’t given 5 stars, however it was enjoyable and draws the reader in. There are three perspectives with the book sectioned into thirds. Each third is a different persons point of view, one picking up where the other leaves off.
I loved this, as it gave new perspectives on the group dynamic, and kept the reader curious as to what was coming. I read all of this within a few hours because I needed to know what was going on! And because of that, how engrossed I was in the book, and how well crafted the characters were, I have given four stars, however there was a couple of things that I found frustrating.
The plot initially centres around Holly, and what has happened to Holly in the chunk of time she is missing.
Throughout the book I found myself getting more details about the night, about where people were and how they had lied about their situations, and then finding out what went on with Daisy later, I expected this to all tie together tell tell us what happened to Holly.
I was quite disappointed then to find there is no resolution in this regard. It’s left with no answer: we can assume and guess, but it seems as if in this way the story builds and builds this “goodness, what happened to Holly?!” With Logan worrying over what happened and withdrawing as a result... but then there is no answer.
I did however enjoy the Book, and would recommend anybody pick it up, because as i say I couldn’t put it down! But if not for that fact, I would have struggled to give three stars.
That being said. The cover makes you think that the book will be a lighthearted read, it is NOT. This is very thought provoking and deals with many themes around the social issues with ‘Toxic Masculinity’. We see from Hollys perspective how she is expected to ‘man up’ and deal with her own troubles if she wants to spend time with “the lads”, and how her upset over her situation is viewed as demeaning and unacceptable for a “lads” holiday.
We see how one member then struggles with His mental Health and feels he cannot approach his friends due to the loss of masculine respect and losing face in a way.
This is then followed with the theme where by RAPE IS RAPE no matter what, and the male character in the situation argues that she “was all over him and asking for it”, the larger attitude that clearly she just felt guilty afterwards despite there being people there who witnessed it.
These are not light subjects to touch upon, and has encouraged a lot of thought, but I would have preferred some kind of closure for Holly And Logan.
Very enjoyable and engrossing read, but a frustrating End.
Not a Book i would reread, so I haven’t given 5 stars, however it was enjoyable and draws the reader in. There are three perspectives with the book sectioned into thirds. Each third is a different persons point of view, one picking up where the other leaves off.
I loved this, as it gave new perspectives on the group dynamic, and kept the reader curious as to what was coming. I read all of this within a few hours because I needed to know what was going on! And because of that, how engrossed I was in the book, and how well crafted the characters were, I have given four stars, however there was a couple of things that I found frustrating.
The plot initially centres around Holly, and what has happened to Holly in the chunk of time she is missing.
Throughout the book I found myself getting more details about the night, about where people were and how they had lied about their situations, and then finding out what went on with Daisy later, I expected this to all tie together tell tell us what happened to Holly.
I was quite disappointed then to find there is no resolution in this regard. It’s left with no answer: we can assume and guess, but it seems as if in this way the story builds and builds this “goodness, what happened to Holly?!” With Logan worrying over what happened and withdrawing as a result... but then there is no answer.
I did however enjoy the Book, and would recommend anybody pick it up, because as i say I couldn’t put it down! But if not for that fact, I would have struggled to give three stars.
That being said. The cover makes you think that the book will be a lighthearted read, it is NOT. This is very thought provoking and deals with many themes around the social issues with ‘Toxic Masculinity’. We see from Hollys perspective how she is expected to ‘man up’ and deal with her own troubles if she wants to spend time with “the lads”, and how her upset over her situation is viewed as demeaning and unacceptable for a “lads” holiday.
We see how one member then struggles with His mental Health and feels he cannot approach his friends due to the loss of masculine respect and losing face in a way.
This is then followed with the theme where by RAPE IS RAPE no matter what, and the male character in the situation argues that she “was all over him and asking for it”, the larger attitude that clearly she just felt guilty afterwards despite there being people there who witnessed it.
These are not light subjects to touch upon, and has encouraged a lot of thought, but I would have preferred some kind of closure for Holly And Logan.
Very enjoyable and engrossing read, but a frustrating End.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 16, 2018
toxic :: nicci cloke :: spoiler-free :: 3.25/5
don’t be fooled by the blithe, cheerful cover. the title and tagline pretty much sum up the basis of this book: toxic friendships.
i think the cover and synopsis of this book is misleading, because it gives off the impression that it’s solely based on hope and her point of view. it’s not. we also get to see the world from logan’s, her ex boyfriend, and daisy’s, logan’s current girlfriend, perspectives.
hope is on her way to malia, greece with the ‘lads’ for fun, partying and freedom. the book starts off with a lighthearted atmosphere, which is so contrasting to the rest of the book. i knew something bad would happen, though i wasn’t expecting such a dark turn to the story – it’s amazing how the author has managed to write in two very different tones for one story.
the book was divided into three parts for each character. whilst i enjoyed all the sections equally, i would’ve liked to have gone back to each viewpoint to see how the characters have all been coping with the different issues they have had to face.
this book touches on many every-day issues such as homophobia, peer pressure and lad culture, which i thought was important. the lad culture especially, as it plays a significant role throughout the book. it really shows how badly it affects how ‘lads’ act to women, those ‘different’ to them, and even themselves.
unfortunately, i found that this book is too informative. it has so much information and so many subplots with minimal development or description all squashed into less than 300 pages. there was a lot of telling instead of showing too; though we were informed of what was happening, not much of it was delved in to and built upon.
things were tied up rather brashly, leaving me with a few things i’m a little unclear about. most of the ending felt pretty rushed, but apart from that the story did reach a decent conclusion. it was just a bit disappointing that more action wasn’t taking place after the worrying events that occurred in this novel.
i feel like if this book was longer, a more satisfying ending would have been reached and i would have enjoyed this book even more than i did.
3.25/5💫
don’t be fooled by the blithe, cheerful cover. the title and tagline pretty much sum up the basis of this book: toxic friendships.
i think the cover and synopsis of this book is misleading, because it gives off the impression that it’s solely based on hope and her point of view. it’s not. we also get to see the world from logan’s, her ex boyfriend, and daisy’s, logan’s current girlfriend, perspectives.
hope is on her way to malia, greece with the ‘lads’ for fun, partying and freedom. the book starts off with a lighthearted atmosphere, which is so contrasting to the rest of the book. i knew something bad would happen, though i wasn’t expecting such a dark turn to the story – it’s amazing how the author has managed to write in two very different tones for one story.
the book was divided into three parts for each character. whilst i enjoyed all the sections equally, i would’ve liked to have gone back to each viewpoint to see how the characters have all been coping with the different issues they have had to face.
this book touches on many every-day issues such as homophobia, peer pressure and lad culture, which i thought was important. the lad culture especially, as it plays a significant role throughout the book. it really shows how badly it affects how ‘lads’ act to women, those ‘different’ to them, and even themselves.
unfortunately, i found that this book is too informative. it has so much information and so many subplots with minimal development or description all squashed into less than 300 pages. there was a lot of telling instead of showing too; though we were informed of what was happening, not much of it was delved in to and built upon.
things were tied up rather brashly, leaving me with a few things i’m a little unclear about. most of the ending felt pretty rushed, but apart from that the story did reach a decent conclusion. it was just a bit disappointing that more action wasn’t taking place after the worrying events that occurred in this novel.
i feel like if this book was longer, a more satisfying ending would have been reached and i would have enjoyed this book even more than i did.
3.25/5💫
July 11, 2018
This felt like three different books from the same universe put together in one book.
The different POVs where confusing as I had no indication the POV had changed and I had to guess who is "speaking".
Its a book about different kinds of friendships, depression, slut-shaming, rape and different kinds of parents. That's a lot to fit in one book. Even though all the plots intertwined together beautifully it still felt a bit too much. This would make a good TV-series though!
I loved how Cloke depicted depression and very butch friendships but i would've wanted to see more of Hope's struggle after the boat party. With her it was like hop-hop to next problem. I think it's an important book but does not wow the reader to the floor.
I received an free e-copy of this book from Hot Key Books via Netgalley in exhange for an honest review.
The different POVs where confusing as I had no indication the POV had changed and I had to guess who is "speaking".
Its a book about different kinds of friendships, depression, slut-shaming, rape and different kinds of parents. That's a lot to fit in one book. Even though all the plots intertwined together beautifully it still felt a bit too much. This would make a good TV-series though!
I loved how Cloke depicted depression and very butch friendships but i would've wanted to see more of Hope's struggle after the boat party. With her it was like hop-hop to next problem. I think it's an important book but does not wow the reader to the floor.
I received an free e-copy of this book from Hot Key Books via Netgalley in exhange for an honest review.
March 25, 2021
This book was entirely different to anything I have read before. I would recommend it to teenagers as there are references and mention of r@pe. The plot was very relevant and truthful with themes of LGBTIA+, accepting others, s*xual h*rassment and mental health. and I really enjoyed it. The book appears to be a lighthearted coming of age theme about a girl called Hope who tags along on holiday with her ex boyfriend and his group of friends. However, one night hope blacks out whilst partying and is left alone on a beach with no recollection of how she got there. Suddenly, she isn’t sure she can believe anyone, even the boys she came on holiday with, and Hope has to trust in new friends to uncover the truth. This book is very empowering and relevant, and i would recommend this to anyone who is a feminist or likes a mystery.
April 18, 2020
So I went into this expecting either a bitchy book from the cover and title or like a mystery from the blurb and then it went and had like actual deep themes? What? Not what I was expecting. I mean come on I just wanted a basic bitchy book is that too much to ask?
August 14, 2018
I thought it'd be jokes. I didn't know.
* * *
3 / 5
Hope goes away on a lads holiday and wakes up one morning on a beach, alone. A friendship group falls apart. What happened? Toxic has a compelling story and an interesting narrative choice.
I am happy. I am so happy. I AM HUNGOVER.
Hope is an honorary "lad" on the guys trip to Crete after the ladies' holiday falls apart. That means she's down for lots of drinking - and not much else! Unfortunately, part of this lads group is Logan, Hope's ex-boyfriend who is now dating Daisy. The book is split into three sections: Hope, Logan, and then Daisy each get their own POV in that order. Hope's section covers her time on the holiday from the flight to waking up from a solid day+night of drinking on a beach with no idea what happened. Logan takes up the story from there to home, where he reunites with girlfriend Daisy, but he's struggling with his secrets of Crete and depression. Then we hear from Daisy who is watching as a previously close-knit group of friends turns toxic and falls apart.
I thought the story was great. It's compelling and mysterious and often strays into the darkness. The heavy topics in the book sometimes make it a difficult read - excessive drinking, drugging people, sexual assault, and toxic relationships. But I felt like these topics were all handled really well and it was all woven together to create this story of secrets and betrayal and how a close group of friends can easily turn toxic.
It's never going to be easy, going on holiday with your ex, is it?
Logan and Hope definitely have the meat of the story between Hope's account of the holiday and Logan's declining mental health. Daisy, whilst a nice character, felt a little tacked on to the end of the story; what I really wanted was more closure on what happened on the beach! That was where I was emotionally invested and Daisy felt a bit disconnected from that.
Toxic was dark, interesting, and sometimes emotionally difficult to read. It was also unsatisfying in its conclusion.
My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book
Read this review and more on my blog: https://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.co...
* * *
3 / 5
Hope goes away on a lads holiday and wakes up one morning on a beach, alone. A friendship group falls apart. What happened? Toxic has a compelling story and an interesting narrative choice.
I am happy. I am so happy. I AM HUNGOVER.
Hope is an honorary "lad" on the guys trip to Crete after the ladies' holiday falls apart. That means she's down for lots of drinking - and not much else! Unfortunately, part of this lads group is Logan, Hope's ex-boyfriend who is now dating Daisy. The book is split into three sections: Hope, Logan, and then Daisy each get their own POV in that order. Hope's section covers her time on the holiday from the flight to waking up from a solid day+night of drinking on a beach with no idea what happened. Logan takes up the story from there to home, where he reunites with girlfriend Daisy, but he's struggling with his secrets of Crete and depression. Then we hear from Daisy who is watching as a previously close-knit group of friends turns toxic and falls apart.
I thought the story was great. It's compelling and mysterious and often strays into the darkness. The heavy topics in the book sometimes make it a difficult read - excessive drinking, drugging people, sexual assault, and toxic relationships. But I felt like these topics were all handled really well and it was all woven together to create this story of secrets and betrayal and how a close group of friends can easily turn toxic.
It's never going to be easy, going on holiday with your ex, is it?
Logan and Hope definitely have the meat of the story between Hope's account of the holiday and Logan's declining mental health. Daisy, whilst a nice character, felt a little tacked on to the end of the story; what I really wanted was more closure on what happened on the beach! That was where I was emotionally invested and Daisy felt a bit disconnected from that.
Toxic was dark, interesting, and sometimes emotionally difficult to read. It was also unsatisfying in its conclusion.
My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of this book
Read this review and more on my blog: https://atlasrisingbooks.wordpress.co...
April 22, 2022
Not all men suck, but some are the worst.
August 18, 2023
i liked it :)
August 29, 2018
#Toxic is a whirlwind cautionary tale about a group of lifelong friends set off on a lads' holiday, the adventure of a lifetime - four days and nights in an apartment in Greece. The fact that one of the lads is actually an 'honorary' lad shouldn't make a difference, should it? Could it? After all, Hope has known them all through school as well. She knows what she's getting into; she can keep up. Right?
It's the summer between AS and A Levels and they are looking to kick back and chill before life starts getting too serious. What none of them yet realise is that the most important lessons ahead of them are unlikely to come in a classroom. Lessons like, who can you trust? And how much do you really know about your friends?
Toxic explores its core themes of how to reconcile being 'one of the lads' with still being someone you can face in the mirror in the morning through the eyes of three main characters. Hope, Logan and Daisy. What's instantly interesting about these POVs is that Hope and Logan used to be a couple before the holiday, but are now travelling as exes. Daisy, Logan's current girlfriend is at home, but trusts him completely. I don't want to spoil anything, but suffice it to say that Hope and Daisy are crucial compass points on Logan's journey through the toxic masculinity of the title.
Each POV is compelling in its own right, but I was particularly blown away by Hope's narrative. Never having been on a lads holiday, or even a beach holiday, I was unaware of fishbowls, or the antics of the holiday reps. But what really amazed me was the energy and verve of the writing. As the holiday spun into a kaleidoscope of drunken debauchery I felt I was there, neon lights, keg sirens, sticky flip flops and all. My heart was in my throat for poor Hope. I knew it would all go wrong; I just wasn't sure how. But I thought it was expertly handled that, as I was in her POV, all I knew was what Hope knew. I was mortified for her, and felt sick waiting to find out what really happened.
Logan's narrative is also fascinating. There's no shortage of novels exploring how hard it is to be a girl in these times of no limits, where the pressure is there to drink, drink, drink and every pocket or handbag holds a video camera. But I can't think of when I've read a perspective like Logan's. How do you look the women in your life, from your mom and cousin, to your ex and current girlfriend, when you know how ashamed they'd be, or maybe even afraid, if they knew what you'd done last summer? And what about your closest friends? What were they doing in those missing hours?
If I had a teenager who wanted to go on holiday with their mates, I'd still say yes. Of course I would. Provided they read Toxic first and explained to me that they'd got it. Better still, perhaps Toxic should be handed out at the airport by the holiday reps. Or emailed straight into the phones the flight confirmations are sent to. Yeah, yeah, I know, 'eating is cheating' but there are times when a little food for thought could just save a life. Just ask Emily.
It's the summer between AS and A Levels and they are looking to kick back and chill before life starts getting too serious. What none of them yet realise is that the most important lessons ahead of them are unlikely to come in a classroom. Lessons like, who can you trust? And how much do you really know about your friends?
Toxic explores its core themes of how to reconcile being 'one of the lads' with still being someone you can face in the mirror in the morning through the eyes of three main characters. Hope, Logan and Daisy. What's instantly interesting about these POVs is that Hope and Logan used to be a couple before the holiday, but are now travelling as exes. Daisy, Logan's current girlfriend is at home, but trusts him completely. I don't want to spoil anything, but suffice it to say that Hope and Daisy are crucial compass points on Logan's journey through the toxic masculinity of the title.
Each POV is compelling in its own right, but I was particularly blown away by Hope's narrative. Never having been on a lads holiday, or even a beach holiday, I was unaware of fishbowls, or the antics of the holiday reps. But what really amazed me was the energy and verve of the writing. As the holiday spun into a kaleidoscope of drunken debauchery I felt I was there, neon lights, keg sirens, sticky flip flops and all. My heart was in my throat for poor Hope. I knew it would all go wrong; I just wasn't sure how. But I thought it was expertly handled that, as I was in her POV, all I knew was what Hope knew. I was mortified for her, and felt sick waiting to find out what really happened.
Logan's narrative is also fascinating. There's no shortage of novels exploring how hard it is to be a girl in these times of no limits, where the pressure is there to drink, drink, drink and every pocket or handbag holds a video camera. But I can't think of when I've read a perspective like Logan's. How do you look the women in your life, from your mom and cousin, to your ex and current girlfriend, when you know how ashamed they'd be, or maybe even afraid, if they knew what you'd done last summer? And what about your closest friends? What were they doing in those missing hours?
If I had a teenager who wanted to go on holiday with their mates, I'd still say yes. Of course I would. Provided they read Toxic first and explained to me that they'd got it. Better still, perhaps Toxic should be handed out at the airport by the holiday reps. Or emailed straight into the phones the flight confirmations are sent to. Yeah, yeah, I know, 'eating is cheating' but there are times when a little food for thought could just save a life. Just ask Emily.
May 5, 2018
Hope is on holiday in Crete with the boys, Dev, Nate and Zack also including Logan her ex boyfriend. When she gets rejected by wrongly trying to kiss him, she sets out to get drunk and forget.
The next day they head off on a booze cruise to an island where she meets Ness, Emily and Hayley with the boys while on board one of then dabbles in drugs but Hope hates the idea of then but not of getting drunk enough to forget anything and everything. The booze boat, sleazy guy and the girls from their hotel they bumped into again.
Then she wakes up the next morning unable to recall the whole night before as she is on the beach, dress round her waist and euro's missing from her bag.
Then Logan and Zack have a secret to keep, a criminal one...
Once back home, Logan starts digging trying to find out what really happened to Hope. As well as struggling with his guilt by sleeping a lot and sinking into depression and worrying he's not good enough for Daisy his girlfriend as they get their A level results.
Dev has a hidden true story from the night whilst JB makes an announcement to the group...
Then Logan discovers Emily went missing that night on holiday and it's on the news online...
There's also the issue of a TV show capturing them on camera partying for the world to watch...
Hope and Logan's latest ex Daisy are pushed together after they both experience similar horrifying situations while there's an attack based purely on gay phobia against one of their friends...
There's drug use alcohol abuse and sex references to throughout so this is definitely a book for older teens. The use of crude language about casual sex from a parent to their son and the son's friends was a bit much. But the story is so important about the dangers of cheap booze holidays abroad especially when friends aren't looking out for each other properly as so much danger could happen as you're so drunk and vulnerable as the teens get in this book. The boys do stick to a typical lads holiday treating Hope fully like one of them unfortunately but they're all deep into their own issues it seems like drink and drugs are the boy's way out of forgetting their life stresses and it can be similar to real life like that. Totally representative of some stereotypical teens and the dangers out there and a true test of how well we all know our friends fully.
Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!
The next day they head off on a booze cruise to an island where she meets Ness, Emily and Hayley with the boys while on board one of then dabbles in drugs but Hope hates the idea of then but not of getting drunk enough to forget anything and everything. The booze boat, sleazy guy and the girls from their hotel they bumped into again.
Then she wakes up the next morning unable to recall the whole night before as she is on the beach, dress round her waist and euro's missing from her bag.
Then Logan and Zack have a secret to keep, a criminal one...
Once back home, Logan starts digging trying to find out what really happened to Hope. As well as struggling with his guilt by sleeping a lot and sinking into depression and worrying he's not good enough for Daisy his girlfriend as they get their A level results.
Dev has a hidden true story from the night whilst JB makes an announcement to the group...
Then Logan discovers Emily went missing that night on holiday and it's on the news online...
There's also the issue of a TV show capturing them on camera partying for the world to watch...
Hope and Logan's latest ex Daisy are pushed together after they both experience similar horrifying situations while there's an attack based purely on gay phobia against one of their friends...
There's drug use alcohol abuse and sex references to throughout so this is definitely a book for older teens. The use of crude language about casual sex from a parent to their son and the son's friends was a bit much. But the story is so important about the dangers of cheap booze holidays abroad especially when friends aren't looking out for each other properly as so much danger could happen as you're so drunk and vulnerable as the teens get in this book. The boys do stick to a typical lads holiday treating Hope fully like one of them unfortunately but they're all deep into their own issues it seems like drink and drugs are the boy's way out of forgetting their life stresses and it can be similar to real life like that. Totally representative of some stereotypical teens and the dangers out there and a true test of how well we all know our friends fully.
Many thanks to the publishers for allowing me to review this book for them!
May 26, 2018
I RECEIVED THIS BOOK FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NET GALLEY IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW.
‘Toxic’ by Nicci Cloke had a lot of interesting subject matter.
Synopsis: After the girls holiday plans fell through, Hope is invited to Malia for the lads’ one. Having known them all for a long time, Hope didn’t think anything of it and it started off great; alcohol, sun and more of both, however a boat trip rocks the group and the aftermath creates tension. What happened to everyone? Why are some people keeping secrets? Why have some changed since returning home?
Toxic talks about drugs, alcohol, lies and secrets, depression, homophobia and the culture of ‘having a good time’. These topics are heavy alone and in their own right but the mix of them all means a very confusing story. These are things that lured me into the story but I think incorporating all of these issues into a 300+ page standalone was a bit ambitious. I also couldn’t stop myself from drawing a comparison to the popular TV show and book Thirteen Reasons Why.
I’m nearly positive that this book had a message to give. I’m just not sure who to. The book came across much like a letter or some form of prose towards someone in particular and it doesn’t become clear who it’s addressed to until about 80% in. The story is split into three parts; the first is from Hope’s POV, then Logan’s and finally Daisy’s and it centres around a member of their collective friendship group.
I found Hope quite likeable. She was just a normal 17yo, halfway through her A-levels and she was enjoying the summer with her mates. I’ve done the exact same so it was very easy to connect with her. I understood her fear and the mistrust that came with it. Thankfully I’ve never been in a situation like hers but I know it happens more often then not. I liked how she stood up for her friends at the end. She wasn’t a coward to begin with but I was glad to see that other events strengthened her resolve.
Like I said before, I’m sure this book has a message. I’m not sure if it’s to warn girls or tell them it’s their right to have a good time too. I’m not sure if it’s to tell boys to talk to each other more. I’m not sure if it’s to tell people in general that consciousness is essential for consent. I really don’t know. If it is any/all of the above, then the story needs to be revised because it isn’t clear enough. And if there isn’t a message to the story, then I didn’t see the point? However, it kept me interested. It had a level of drama (sometimes too much) and mystery to it that reminded me of TV shows (e.g. 90210, 13 Reasons Why…) and I finished it within a few hours. It’s readable.
“Those memories can just be yours. You can keep them safe. You can let them fester.”
‘Toxic’ by Nicci Cloke had a lot of interesting subject matter.
Synopsis: After the girls holiday plans fell through, Hope is invited to Malia for the lads’ one. Having known them all for a long time, Hope didn’t think anything of it and it started off great; alcohol, sun and more of both, however a boat trip rocks the group and the aftermath creates tension. What happened to everyone? Why are some people keeping secrets? Why have some changed since returning home?
Toxic talks about drugs, alcohol, lies and secrets, depression, homophobia and the culture of ‘having a good time’. These topics are heavy alone and in their own right but the mix of them all means a very confusing story. These are things that lured me into the story but I think incorporating all of these issues into a 300+ page standalone was a bit ambitious. I also couldn’t stop myself from drawing a comparison to the popular TV show and book Thirteen Reasons Why.
I’m nearly positive that this book had a message to give. I’m just not sure who to. The book came across much like a letter or some form of prose towards someone in particular and it doesn’t become clear who it’s addressed to until about 80% in. The story is split into three parts; the first is from Hope’s POV, then Logan’s and finally Daisy’s and it centres around a member of their collective friendship group.
I found Hope quite likeable. She was just a normal 17yo, halfway through her A-levels and she was enjoying the summer with her mates. I’ve done the exact same so it was very easy to connect with her. I understood her fear and the mistrust that came with it. Thankfully I’ve never been in a situation like hers but I know it happens more often then not. I liked how she stood up for her friends at the end. She wasn’t a coward to begin with but I was glad to see that other events strengthened her resolve.
Like I said before, I’m sure this book has a message. I’m not sure if it’s to warn girls or tell them it’s their right to have a good time too. I’m not sure if it’s to tell boys to talk to each other more. I’m not sure if it’s to tell people in general that consciousness is essential for consent. I really don’t know. If it is any/all of the above, then the story needs to be revised because it isn’t clear enough. And if there isn’t a message to the story, then I didn’t see the point? However, it kept me interested. It had a level of drama (sometimes too much) and mystery to it that reminded me of TV shows (e.g. 90210, 13 Reasons Why…) and I finished it within a few hours. It’s readable.
“Those memories can just be yours. You can keep them safe. You can let them fester.”
August 29, 2018
3.5 Stars
The secret to this book is the characters. We only really get to know Hope, Logan and Daisy properly in the book but each of the 3 has a strong and individual voice which carries their section well. I did have issues separating a couple of the characters from each other (Zach and Nate) as they both seemed pretty much interchangeable throughout. Whilst there is a lot happening here, most of it is of the rather mundane teenage life version of drama - so mountains out of molehills - but that is fine because that is what the book is about. I hesitate to call it a coming of age novel but really that is what it is all about.
From reading the blurb you could be forgiven for thinking that this is all about a disastrous event befalling Hope when on a "lads holiday" to Crete. Indeed, I kept waiting for the calamitous event that never really arrives; this did rather spoil the first half of the book for me as I kept wondering if this was "it" we were building to. So, if you've read the blurb then put it out of your mind and think of it this way - it is a book about the changing nature of friendship.
There is plenty of drama here from the more overt ones of the dangers of alcohol and how they can leave you at the mercy of more predatory people and how it can turn you in to the predator. It runs through homophobia, the trials of wanting to fit in, depression, cyber bullying, and family/peer pressure. The writing is fun and pacy and you never really get chance to get bored with one situation or one character - although some of them can be incredibly infuriating (Dev I am looking at you!).
Whilst marketed as a YA read, it really does work just as well for those of us who have long ago left those teenage years behind. It does have a lot of content that is very relevant to life for a teenager today and could be a good gift book - if you can get your teen to read this it *could* open up lines of communication between you a little bit (especially if you both read it). Even if it doesn't it is a fun read about characters that feel wholly human and real, so much so I did feel a little bit fly-on-the-wall when reading it.
The secret to this book is the characters. We only really get to know Hope, Logan and Daisy properly in the book but each of the 3 has a strong and individual voice which carries their section well. I did have issues separating a couple of the characters from each other (Zach and Nate) as they both seemed pretty much interchangeable throughout. Whilst there is a lot happening here, most of it is of the rather mundane teenage life version of drama - so mountains out of molehills - but that is fine because that is what the book is about. I hesitate to call it a coming of age novel but really that is what it is all about.
From reading the blurb you could be forgiven for thinking that this is all about a disastrous event befalling Hope when on a "lads holiday" to Crete. Indeed, I kept waiting for the calamitous event that never really arrives; this did rather spoil the first half of the book for me as I kept wondering if this was "it" we were building to. So, if you've read the blurb then put it out of your mind and think of it this way - it is a book about the changing nature of friendship.
There is plenty of drama here from the more overt ones of the dangers of alcohol and how they can leave you at the mercy of more predatory people and how it can turn you in to the predator. It runs through homophobia, the trials of wanting to fit in, depression, cyber bullying, and family/peer pressure. The writing is fun and pacy and you never really get chance to get bored with one situation or one character - although some of them can be incredibly infuriating (Dev I am looking at you!).
Whilst marketed as a YA read, it really does work just as well for those of us who have long ago left those teenage years behind. It does have a lot of content that is very relevant to life for a teenager today and could be a good gift book - if you can get your teen to read this it *could* open up lines of communication between you a little bit (especially if you both read it). Even if it doesn't it is a fun read about characters that feel wholly human and real, so much so I did feel a little bit fly-on-the-wall when reading it.
February 2, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This has to be one of the best books I’ve read in a while! It starts off with a group of friends going on a guys holiday plus one girl and turns into a bunch of mysteries and confusion!
One thing I liked about this book is that it was in three different perspectives.
First was Hope. She had tagged along on holiday with her 5 guy friends: Dev, Nate, JB, Zack and Logan to Malia to get drunk and party every night. They were having an amazing time and decided they would spend one of their days on a booze cruise, which is where everything started going wrong.
The next morning, after the party, Hope was woken up on a beach by two guys she’d never met before. Her friends hadn’t made sure she’d got home the night before. But that wasn’t all.
Skip to the next section which is in Logan’s point of view. Logan is Hope’s ex boyfriend but they’re still good friends. During this part of the book we find out that Logan is having a hard time coming to terms with what’s happened during the holiday.
He feels bad for flirting with Hope while having a girlfriend as well as leading her on to believe he wanted to get back together. He feels bad for leaving Hope on the beach where anything could’ve happened to her. He feels bad for being led astray by Zack while he was drunk and beating a guy up two against one. He also feels bad that a girl he met once while on holiday goes missing, he worried this could’ve happened to Hope. And later on this feeling is worsened once we learn she was found dead.
He ends up breaking up with his girlfriend and locking himself away in his room, barely sleeping or doing anything. His cousin later says she thinks he has depression and he does eventually start accepting people’s help.
The last section is in the point of view of Daisy. She was Logan’s girlfriend before he broke up with after the holiday. He believed she deserved better and that breaking up with her would help but all it did was make the situation worse and break her heart, especially since he did it over text.
This last part was a bit more confusing to me as it was written like Daisy was writing to someone. I thought at first it was Logan, it wasn’t but we don’t find out who it was straight away. As it goes on, we see the girls getting ready to go to a party in which Daisy gets drunk, has no idea what she’s doing and then passes out. In which time she is led outside by who she would consider a friend to “get some air”. Instead, this person is pulled off her unconscious body as she lay on the floor. This person is Zack.
The person who jokingly called Hope names after she got back to the hotel after that night alone on the beach. The person who convinced Logan it was a good idea to follow the drunk guy down an alleyway and beat him up because he was being arrogant on the boat. The person that didn’t bother contacting Logan to see if he was alright like all his other friends did. The person that completely shuts out his friend JB after he comes out as gay because who knows what people will think.
This man should be a Disney villain. He’s worse than them all put together. Towards the end of the book, JB shows up at Zack’s house, drunk. He’s upset and tells him he’s wrong about everything he’s done, that he shouldn’t have done it. He’s leaves after Zack’s dad and brother turn up. But not even halfway home and he’s beaten up by the brother and his friends to the point he has to go to the hospital. After that they have nothing to do with him and he ignores them like nothing ever happened. The rest of them end up going to Ibiza a year later to celebrate Hope’s birthday. They all seem really genuinely happy. It’s unclear whether Logan and Daisy are back together but I like to hope so.
I really hope this book has a sequel at some point as I loved it so much and I’ll definitely be reading it again!
This has to be one of the best books I’ve read in a while! It starts off with a group of friends going on a guys holiday plus one girl and turns into a bunch of mysteries and confusion!
One thing I liked about this book is that it was in three different perspectives.
First was Hope. She had tagged along on holiday with her 5 guy friends: Dev, Nate, JB, Zack and Logan to Malia to get drunk and party every night. They were having an amazing time and decided they would spend one of their days on a booze cruise, which is where everything started going wrong.
The next morning, after the party, Hope was woken up on a beach by two guys she’d never met before. Her friends hadn’t made sure she’d got home the night before. But that wasn’t all.
Skip to the next section which is in Logan’s point of view. Logan is Hope’s ex boyfriend but they’re still good friends. During this part of the book we find out that Logan is having a hard time coming to terms with what’s happened during the holiday.
He feels bad for flirting with Hope while having a girlfriend as well as leading her on to believe he wanted to get back together. He feels bad for leaving Hope on the beach where anything could’ve happened to her. He feels bad for being led astray by Zack while he was drunk and beating a guy up two against one. He also feels bad that a girl he met once while on holiday goes missing, he worried this could’ve happened to Hope. And later on this feeling is worsened once we learn she was found dead.
He ends up breaking up with his girlfriend and locking himself away in his room, barely sleeping or doing anything. His cousin later says she thinks he has depression and he does eventually start accepting people’s help.
The last section is in the point of view of Daisy. She was Logan’s girlfriend before he broke up with after the holiday. He believed she deserved better and that breaking up with her would help but all it did was make the situation worse and break her heart, especially since he did it over text.
This last part was a bit more confusing to me as it was written like Daisy was writing to someone. I thought at first it was Logan, it wasn’t but we don’t find out who it was straight away. As it goes on, we see the girls getting ready to go to a party in which Daisy gets drunk, has no idea what she’s doing and then passes out. In which time she is led outside by who she would consider a friend to “get some air”. Instead, this person is pulled off her unconscious body as she lay on the floor. This person is Zack.
The person who jokingly called Hope names after she got back to the hotel after that night alone on the beach. The person who convinced Logan it was a good idea to follow the drunk guy down an alleyway and beat him up because he was being arrogant on the boat. The person that didn’t bother contacting Logan to see if he was alright like all his other friends did. The person that completely shuts out his friend JB after he comes out as gay because who knows what people will think.
This man should be a Disney villain. He’s worse than them all put together. Towards the end of the book, JB shows up at Zack’s house, drunk. He’s upset and tells him he’s wrong about everything he’s done, that he shouldn’t have done it. He’s leaves after Zack’s dad and brother turn up. But not even halfway home and he’s beaten up by the brother and his friends to the point he has to go to the hospital. After that they have nothing to do with him and he ignores them like nothing ever happened. The rest of them end up going to Ibiza a year later to celebrate Hope’s birthday. They all seem really genuinely happy. It’s unclear whether Logan and Daisy are back together but I like to hope so.
I really hope this book has a sequel at some point as I loved it so much and I’ll definitely be reading it again!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 23, 2019
Wow, kinda shocked at the reviews of this book I thought of this book differently to most...
The cover of this book in no way matches the story.
So - how her parents let her join a lad's holiday is a bit beyond me but - 17 year old Hope joins her five 17 year old male friends on a lads holiday. Alpha-male Zack, his right hand man Dev - I pictured as a younger Dev Patel, lol- funny JB, cruisy Nate and her ex-boyfriend Logan.
The holiday feels like a Geordie shore episode as they spend their days nursing hangovers by the pool and nights drinking up the strip. All is fun and games until Hope ends up passed out on a beach alone and her friends are nowhere to be seen.
The pace of this book is great for the first 100 pages, then after the holiday the pace starts to slow right down before picking up again in the last 20 (no spoilers).
The book also has 3 first person points of views. Normally I hate this - just write in 3rd person FFS! - but it kind of worked in this book. Hope was a great first person character, Logan in first person was really good for his - not spoiling it - story. I was not expecting Daisy's POV and can see why it was required butttt Hope was such a great character, the third phase of the novel could have been presented as Hope - or even one of the other boys - with similar success.
As a mid-20 something now, I find it a lot harder to get into YA then I used to BUT stand strongly against the motto 'if it is great YA, you should not have to be a teen to like the teen book' and this book supports my case. Cloke had great characters, who handled mature topics - like binge drinking, depression, drugs, sexual harassment, toxic masculinity and homophobia - very well. Not like those sulky bitches called 'teenagers' in some fantasy novels.
The ending was a bit of a fizzler but it's a realistic ending. In reality and without spoiling the story, friendship dynamics change, especially in the last two years of high school. This book took me back to my senior highschool days and how we acted was similar to these characters.
Very good read but not great enough for 5 stars.
The cover of this book in no way matches the story.
So - how her parents let her join a lad's holiday is a bit beyond me but - 17 year old Hope joins her five 17 year old male friends on a lads holiday. Alpha-male Zack, his right hand man Dev - I pictured as a younger Dev Patel, lol- funny JB, cruisy Nate and her ex-boyfriend Logan.
The holiday feels like a Geordie shore episode as they spend their days nursing hangovers by the pool and nights drinking up the strip. All is fun and games until Hope ends up passed out on a beach alone and her friends are nowhere to be seen.
The pace of this book is great for the first 100 pages, then after the holiday the pace starts to slow right down before picking up again in the last 20 (no spoilers).
The book also has 3 first person points of views. Normally I hate this - just write in 3rd person FFS! - but it kind of worked in this book. Hope was a great first person character, Logan in first person was really good for his - not spoiling it - story. I was not expecting Daisy's POV and can see why it was required butttt Hope was such a great character, the third phase of the novel could have been presented as Hope - or even one of the other boys - with similar success.
As a mid-20 something now, I find it a lot harder to get into YA then I used to BUT stand strongly against the motto 'if it is great YA, you should not have to be a teen to like the teen book' and this book supports my case. Cloke had great characters, who handled mature topics - like binge drinking, depression, drugs, sexual harassment, toxic masculinity and homophobia - very well. Not like those sulky bitches called 'teenagers' in some fantasy novels.
The ending was a bit of a fizzler but it's a realistic ending. In reality and without spoiling the story, friendship dynamics change, especially in the last two years of high school. This book took me back to my senior highschool days and how we acted was similar to these characters.
Very good read but not great enough for 5 stars.
April 29, 2021
I started this book believing I was going into a 3 star read - honestly, the British holiday drinking culture was fun to read about, but just that - no substance (side note, a contemporary set in the UK/with British characters - especially English - is always a huge positive for me because the cultural references and small details make it so much more realistic for me than some American high school experience. I digress).
But then the pace changed - I mean, I knew it was coming but the execution was fantastic. The rating just went up and up from that point. Don't get me wrong, it was a hard book to read - I found the descriptions of depression difficult to pull myself through because sixth form happened to coincide with my depression (now diagnosed and being treated, thank god) getting quickly much worse. It felt so real, it felt like a strange cross between reading about me, about people I know, and about strangers I'd never met but who share the same experience of being a teenager in England in the late 2010s.
I don't think this review is making much sense, I'm still reeling a little bit from finishing this masterpiece of a book. Contemporaries aren't usually my favourite genre, they don't give me the sense of magic and wonder a nice low fantasy might, but this made me feel something else which I appreciated, maybe even a bit more - being shown the world as it is, with all its crap, and seeing yourself there, surviving.
This was just a last-minute decision to add to bulk up my order, and honestly, I've never been so grateful to have stumbled across something that really struck a chord with me. This book covers drinking culture, toxic masculinity, mental health, sexual assault, and captures the feeling of sixth form so aptly and skillfully in under 300 pages, without skipping on details or rushing the story forwards. Cloke has an incredible ability to make you do a complete 180 on your judgment of a character and to tangle your own emotions with those in the story.
Highly recommend, this is so underrated.
But then the pace changed - I mean, I knew it was coming but the execution was fantastic. The rating just went up and up from that point. Don't get me wrong, it was a hard book to read - I found the descriptions of depression difficult to pull myself through because sixth form happened to coincide with my depression (now diagnosed and being treated, thank god) getting quickly much worse. It felt so real, it felt like a strange cross between reading about me, about people I know, and about strangers I'd never met but who share the same experience of being a teenager in England in the late 2010s.
I don't think this review is making much sense, I'm still reeling a little bit from finishing this masterpiece of a book. Contemporaries aren't usually my favourite genre, they don't give me the sense of magic and wonder a nice low fantasy might, but this made me feel something else which I appreciated, maybe even a bit more - being shown the world as it is, with all its crap, and seeing yourself there, surviving.
This was just a last-minute decision to add to bulk up my order, and honestly, I've never been so grateful to have stumbled across something that really struck a chord with me. This book covers drinking culture, toxic masculinity, mental health, sexual assault, and captures the feeling of sixth form so aptly and skillfully in under 300 pages, without skipping on details or rushing the story forwards. Cloke has an incredible ability to make you do a complete 180 on your judgment of a character and to tangle your own emotions with those in the story.
Highly recommend, this is so underrated.
February 22, 2024
To started on the pros, the writing is nice and skimmable, so it what makes me push on and read til it finished.
Now for the cons, it is a little messy.
In Hope pov, we see her having fun with her friends, partying drinking,repeat until she was abandoned on the beach after she was drunk,I wish that this part of the pov is expanded or explained more like there will be a detective arc where Hope can find out whoever done something or why she is left there because there is another pov…
And Logan well, it was not much fun to read, since I get to see his depression arc through back and forth, I wish that most of the melodramatic stuff could cut out because I was hoping something interesting could happened or said but the writing described too much on his poor self esteem and his other poor character quality, which it just so boring and not worth to find out more on whoever done something to Hope.
For daisy pov, it is the end it counted, we concluded the Zack is the one who started everything, hate crime, mischief or whatever the incident happened…To be honest I wish that Logan pov could be replace with Zack or whatever the boys that are the antagonist so we can delved more on their thoughts and actions that happened like Emily disappearance, drug abuse, hate crime.etc. But is feel to me it is painted and written like it is one of the generic juvenile teenager does stupid shit and be forgotten about.
This book story is mid at most, the writing clean and enjoyable, if it isn’t for the writing, I would have DNF sooner. Too much unnecessary explanation and details about partying and drinking that bore me. Should Look somewhere for more interesting and captivating storyline relating to rape, substance abuse, teenage angst or other form of teenager exploration series.
Now for the cons, it is a little messy.
In Hope pov, we see her having fun with her friends, partying drinking,repeat until she was abandoned on the beach after she was drunk,I wish that this part of the pov is expanded or explained more like there will be a detective arc where Hope can find out whoever done something or why she is left there because there is another pov…
And Logan well, it was not much fun to read, since I get to see his depression arc through back and forth, I wish that most of the melodramatic stuff could cut out because I was hoping something interesting could happened or said but the writing described too much on his poor self esteem and his other poor character quality, which it just so boring and not worth to find out more on whoever done something to Hope.
For daisy pov, it is the end it counted, we concluded the Zack is the one who started everything, hate crime, mischief or whatever the incident happened…To be honest I wish that Logan pov could be replace with Zack or whatever the boys that are the antagonist so we can delved more on their thoughts and actions that happened like Emily disappearance, drug abuse, hate crime.etc. But is feel to me it is painted and written like it is one of the generic juvenile teenager does stupid shit and be forgotten about.
This book story is mid at most, the writing clean and enjoyable, if it isn’t for the writing, I would have DNF sooner. Too much unnecessary explanation and details about partying and drinking that bore me. Should Look somewhere for more interesting and captivating storyline relating to rape, substance abuse, teenage angst or other form of teenager exploration series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2020
It was very predictable. It starts out like all bad horror movies: beautiful location, obliviously happy characters. Then, after an event that you see coming a mile off, things take a turn for the worst. I thought at this point it might actually turn into a murder mystery…but that didn’t happen. It then became a succession of cautionary tales. While it covers relevant, important topics there were so many bundled into one book - homophobia, depression, toxic masculinity, rape, victim blaming, substance abuse, parental pressure and more - you get bogged down in the moral message it is trying to convey. I appreciate we need to talk about these issues but the delivery was offensive. It was hard not to be annoyed by the recycled narrative of the naïve drunk girl VS the abrasive guys that only talk or think about sex, and the character with an Indian name who just happens to have pushy parents and a med-school brother? Really? We’ve had those stories fed to us so many times. The author also used various outdated sayings and seemed out of touch with real adolescents. Everyone calling each other “babe” was really irritating and adding “-Dogg” to the end of everyone’s names. I think the deeper meaning is there but the execution was off. It is a short book with very simple writing so it’s quick to read, but it is by no means the summer/beach read that you’ll expect from the blurb. And if you’re after a big reveal or twist at the end, you won’t find one.
May 20, 2018
This book was a fast paced easy read. It is teenage fiction but as a 27 year old I still rather enjoyed it.
The characters were believable and although there was a lot of them and they were sometimes a little stereotyped I feel like I could have known people like them as a teeanger.
The plot dealt with some serious topics like sexuality, drugs, alcohol, depression, lonliness and friendships. I think these are issues many teenagers face these days.
There were a few plot holes. I felt like when Hope woke up on the beach the author could have ran with it and made a book that was all about what happened to her but didn't. It was a major plot hole for me that she never found out what happened. I also felt that Emily going missing was a great part of the plot but then nothing really became of it. It was almost like she died but so what. There was no real emotion to it. If it was me then I would be wanting to find out who was responsable but none of the characters gave a damn. Finally I felt the story of Daisy and Zach really interesting and a lot more could have been made of this. The 3 main stories didn't massively interlink and I felt like there should have been more of a obvious link between them and then the book may have flowed better. Not a bad read but I won't be in a rush to read this authors other books.
The characters were believable and although there was a lot of them and they were sometimes a little stereotyped I feel like I could have known people like them as a teeanger.
The plot dealt with some serious topics like sexuality, drugs, alcohol, depression, lonliness and friendships. I think these are issues many teenagers face these days.
There were a few plot holes. I felt like when Hope woke up on the beach the author could have ran with it and made a book that was all about what happened to her but didn't. It was a major plot hole for me that she never found out what happened. I also felt that Emily going missing was a great part of the plot but then nothing really became of it. It was almost like she died but so what. There was no real emotion to it. If it was me then I would be wanting to find out who was responsable but none of the characters gave a damn. Finally I felt the story of Daisy and Zach really interesting and a lot more could have been made of this. The 3 main stories didn't massively interlink and I felt like there should have been more of a obvious link between them and then the book may have flowed better. Not a bad read but I won't be in a rush to read this authors other books.
July 26, 2018
Toxic tells the story of a girl called Hope who goes on a lads holiday to Malia. After much drinking with the group of lads Hope finds herself waking up on a beach unaware of what happened the night before and her friends nowhere to be seen.
Although this is true to some extent I feel that the story is much more than that and by facing such important issues as drinking, mental health and sexual assault the blurb of the book (and cover) is very misleading and leads you to believe you are picking up a light summer read.
I enjoyed reading this book and often found myself wanting to know what happened next but I did find in parts it was a bit slow and that information, which seemed irrelevant at the time of reading, was just being given out too often. Looking back, at the end it made sense but as I thought I was reading about Hope's story learning about Emily's situation seemed confusing.
I like how the book was split up from three characters viewpoints, Hope, Logan and Daisy however I would have liked more of each characters opinions on main points in the book and to have got more background information on the characters which I feel the book was lacking.
I think the book was very good and I enjoyed reading it and seeing the effects of toxic friendships. I would definitely recommend it but don't be fooled by the summery cover!
Although this is true to some extent I feel that the story is much more than that and by facing such important issues as drinking, mental health and sexual assault the blurb of the book (and cover) is very misleading and leads you to believe you are picking up a light summer read.
I enjoyed reading this book and often found myself wanting to know what happened next but I did find in parts it was a bit slow and that information, which seemed irrelevant at the time of reading, was just being given out too often. Looking back, at the end it made sense but as I thought I was reading about Hope's story learning about Emily's situation seemed confusing.
I like how the book was split up from three characters viewpoints, Hope, Logan and Daisy however I would have liked more of each characters opinions on main points in the book and to have got more background information on the characters which I feel the book was lacking.
I think the book was very good and I enjoyed reading it and seeing the effects of toxic friendships. I would definitely recommend it but don't be fooled by the summery cover!
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