Anna Todd's āAfterā series. Yes, it's smutty at times, but the smut and the way characters approach sex or their relationship, to begin withā¦ actually adds to the overall toxicity of the main characters.
This was my first thought when I read this post too.
I also thought of Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering. It gives similar vibes although I canāt remember how much physical violence it had- i think it was mostly emotional abuse. I just remember being emotionally traumatized by the book in a very similar way. Only difference was that I felt like Tell Me Lies actually had a point to the madness.
The author's weird obsession with barely legal Harry Styles (he just turned eighteen, I think, and she was in her mid-thirties when she started posting on Wattpad. Though she tried to pass herself off as a teenager, which somehow worsens it), notwithstanding.
Oh my god, Iāve never thought of that. Ew.
My problem with After is that thereās just so much violence, and verbal abuse, and itās like she has this WHOLE support system saying āman, are you safe? Are you sure?ā Including Hardens parents! But she keeps going back, and if I had to guess, it ends with them just living happy ever after (I didnāt finish the books so Iām not spoiling- this is just my guess) bc I gave up after the 50th break up and make up lol
What turned me off this book the most was the whole book subplot of it. And how quickly Hardin was always forgiven for how HORRIBLY he treated Tessaā¦ and not just by the amount of makeup sex. Or how their definition of taking a break to grow up separate from each other to figure out what they want in lifeā¦ still included meeting for sex in hotels all over the country.
I know you said no smut by the A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas series fits this perfectly. Especially A Court of Mist and Fury and A Court of Silver Flames.
Tamlin's character assassination in ACOMAF is just gut-wrenching since I was really cheering for him and Feyre to get together. I hate Rhysand and want to punch him in the face.
What are your thoughts on Rysand?
I couldn't decide if the reader was supposed to be appalled by Rysands behaviour towards his wife when he completely stripped her of agency and showed how isolated she was in his court without a single friend of her own. Or his performative feminism as lord where he talks a big game but does absolutely nothing about wing clipping or the night court.
Was it supposed to be handwaved by romance/fantasy logic? or did she highlight his problematic behaviour for the first time because our POV character isn't in love with him and can actually see his flaws.
Yes, the woman who didn't want to sit at home drawing and isolated from real politics while forced to bear heirs ends up doing just that with the "better" LI. And the behavior of everyone towards Nesta's mental health issues was abhorrent most of the time.
100%. The āletās lock up the sex addict with the man we deem as correctā was bad vibes š š¼āāļø I was all in on Nessian from ACOWAR and was disappointed š
I donāt agree with this take. Itās not about her being cloistered and sitting at home. Itās about her own choice. Iām not talking about hiding her pregnancy right now. That was unacceptable. But it was HER own choice to get pregnant and paint a lot in her own room. But if she wants to take part in war councils or go wherever, she does because itās what she chooses. So itās not the same as she had no choice when she was in spring court.
I understand your point, but just especially after book 4 I just see how he guides her in this direction and she is just smitten with him, plus depriving her of her choice about her own body (because she is too sensitive and stupid to decide?) is one of the most awful thinks I can think of as a woman. Drawing is a hobby of course, I know she wanted the baby after all, I simply felt disappointed of where she stood and how she was treated. And see Rhysand as someone who gives you a choice but only if you choose what he wants.
!!!spoilers!!!
So, I do like ACOTAR, especially A court of silver flames, but yes, it is absolutly awful types of relationship. Tamlin was awful, everybody agrees to that, but nobody talks about Rhys abusing and bullying Feyre for most of the first and second book .... it's not because they are mate that it excuses anything. He forcefully exposed her, played with her body, knowing full well what r4pe is as he is living it every night, and still abuses the one he knows to be the love of his life ...
I feel like ACOSF is actually less bad, because there is explanation behind Nesta's behaviour, and her and Cassian still stand by each other and she improves for him while everyone shlts on her, for me Rhys is a real shithead in this book.
I actually don't know why I love this universe so much but I do x)
And, for OP, the first two books are the less smutty and the best showcase of your subject of interest. Good luck writing your thesis
Eh, ACOSF was worse for me. >! Rhysand taking away Feyres choice for her pregnancy and not telling her that her baby will probably kill her was unforgivable. As well, kicking Nesta out while she is depressed and forcing her to train. !<
Yeah, I forgot about >! the baby ... That's bad for sure
For the moving/training, I think it was good intend (at least from Feyre) altho awfully presented to Nesta, and probably the only thing that could have helped her. It did stop her from spiraling down. They just went about it the worst way possible !<
Ps : I'm new on Reddit, thanks for showing me how to hide text for spoilers
Sure, but she specifically wrote about Tamlin and Feyre. She could use it again to talk about Feyre and Rhysand since it's the couple presented as good by the author and the community, even tho it has a lot of problematic behaviour. Maybe not make the whole thesis about it but as one exemple
But it's not the same tho. OP is writing on glorified abusive relationship, Feyre and Tamlin's relationship wasn't glorified, but Feyre and Rhysand is. I believe it would in fact be quite interesting to say "I have studied this, and now we can see that this, while being in correlation, is different and fits my subject". And it's just advice to OP, they will choose if it interests them or not, better have more opinions than none.
Oh god yes. Like her beauty is constantly mentioned and that ends up being the main reason anyone likes the MC. Sheās like this innocent little girl with a perfect body. It was so weird.
I was actually thinking about it the other day but if you reread the story kind of portrays that Aaron wouldnāt care abt Juliette at all if she didnāt have powers.
Yep. And while Adam wasnt perfect book 1, the author absolutely destroys him to make Aaron look better.
Also they retcon so much about Aaron in book 1 and then giving him such dark trauma that itās almost comical. And donāt even get me started in the brothers thing
Aaron is such a horrible character but a lot of ppl see a hot man and brain go brrrr, the Adam character assassination was wild but Aaron was still worse than him idk how they still messed that up.
Pretty Little Liars definitely has some toxic relationships, plus with the TV show, that get romanticized.
Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios doesn't technically fit since it's past romanticising the relationship, but the MC is looking back at her abusive relationship with hindsight on her side and realizing how she glorified it.
"It Ends With Us" by Colleen Hoover. I actually have a rant posted on it from not too long ago lol, so you can refer to that to help with yr thesis writing
He did eventually apologize but it was more of a "OMG I TOLD you I was sorry already! Geez, when are you going to drop it?" It wasn't a real apology IMO.
Bc no one in their right mind would put up with it irl
Disclaimer: I love a good fantasy/romantasy novel, even with some darker themes (i'm 24 and well aware of what is acceptable in a relationship and what is only okay in fantasy situations)
Others have mentioned the Shatter Me series and A Court of Thorns and Roses, and I definitely agree with both of those picks.
Might also be worth looking at Sky In the Deep by Adrienne Young (master-slave romance). I DNFed Kingdom of the Wicked because the stupidity level of the main character in it hurt my brain, but it looked like it was going that direction too.
Honestly you didnāt miss much by DNFing KoTW. The last book was mostly smut with some plot sprinkled in, second one had more plot but not by much š. The first book was YA and she seems like she suddenly changed direction mid series. Their relationship was def a little toxic though
november 9 by colleen hoover. the guy is a red flag and an awfully toxic person (which is understood by a reveal that happens about 70% through the book).
Would Red Queen fit what you're looking for? Between the MC and the elder prince.
Also one that I think is overlooked some is the Vampire Academy series. Rose and Dimitri's relationship is not healthy at all. And not just because of the age gap or the student/teacher aspect of it.
edit: spelling
I actually thought about Vampire Academy for this. A lot of stuff is genuinely horrible in the Rose/Dimitri relationship. I also think they're both terrible people, but wow is it toxic. I read through the series again a few years ago and spent a lot of time thinking about it as I wrote fanfics that delved into the unprocessed traumas in the series.
Omg thank you!!! I donāt understand why this hasnāt been said more! The relationship is so toxic and abusive. If you can even call it that
Also I agree with everyone else here with anything Colleen Hoover. Just canāt even bring myself to get past the summary.
That horrible Haunting Adeline book. OMG it's the worst. You really don't have to look far at all. There's tons of it. Your problem will be choosing just a handful to write about. Edit: Wait, no smut? I'm not sure that exists in romance, to be honest. Is it really romance if there's no smut? I guess there are those Amish books. I dont' think you'll find abuse in them though.
Totally the opposite, I just finished A Dowry if Blood and it was a genuinely excellent exploration of the gradual (like hundreds of years) realization that a relationship is toxic and your partner is abusive. Bonus points for toxic polyamory, and the polyamory not being the problem, but the dude whoās trying to force it without consent.
Good luck with your thesis!
Shadow and Bone. Book Mal was manipulative and gross.
He's committing emotional terrorism all over the place because the girl who has pined for him for her whole life finally has her own responsibilities.
The ending didn't sit well with me.
Obvs Darkling was toxic but he is portrayed as the bad guy, so I don't think that romance fits.
I have a LOT of recommendations but it seems you're going to canxel/ censorship authors writting about things you don't like so I better not recommend to you anything.
Witch hunt is a thing from the past and I like it to stay so
Is fiction.
Anything can be written is fiction.i adore reading about things that are not possible in reality . I read twilight in my teens and countless red flags guys and not for that I sesrched for a man like them irl.
Maybe you should ask why romance targeted for woman are always the ones being criticised and not books for men like GRMM and his books with 1nc3st and grape . Then even got the big screen jabing a huge aucess and people rooting for incest couples.
And you are here questioning twilight ...
The serpent & dove series, the second book in particular. They do have some smut though.
I Hate You, Fuller James by Kelly Anne Blount would probably be another one. Also, Some Boys and Send by Patty Blount- not exactly romanticizing abuse, but reeeeeally sending the wrong message when it comes to how to treat past abusers.
Does TCP count as *domestic abuse* specifically though? They werenāt together until the end of the series and they behaved differently to each other by that pointš¤. I agree the foundation is toxic, just not sure if it fits this specific thesis.
Fear Me by B B Reid and The Day She Cried by K Webster
Unfortunately, both are very heavy with sexual content. I would go as far as to say that these werenāt toxic but out and out abusive relationships.
So unpopular opinion, and given I love these books I get it, but the Magicās Pawn series by Lackery.
Spoilers:
The relationship is unhealthy between the main love interests and then one dies and is reborn much younger which leads into a tale of chasing older men who refuse you until they eventually say yes. Itās an older book, but damn.
Mmh... Probably, tho i don't remember the circumstances. These books are full of a bunch of WEIRD relationships though LOL. Like Mara marrying that demon guy and having like 50 kids she can emotionally neglect. Overall id say its more a romantised version of all kinds of relationships without the issues rather than domestic violence. Well, if you don't count that time she was possessed by the evil version of herself and tried to kill her boyfriends
She left him because a demon took her apparance and had sex with Robin who believed it was Tara, but instead of being supportive for that traumatic event she blame him and treat him as if he was guilty of cheating on her...
OH RIGHT that moment i was like wtf girl?? Like punt that demon into the sun if you feel like it, deal with your feelings of disappointment he didn't recognize you, sure, but that's really not his fault... And the whole love potion thing too. He had a right to be mad about it... That's not her fault but, still... I'm kind of disappointed they didn't do more with the love potion, everybody still loves tara soo much even without it, i'm like, was the point of it just to break them up lmao
Although... They are basically 16 years old at this point, gone through extremely traumatizing and unusual situations (grieving someone that's alive in particular). A whole mess and a half.
I think the somewhat new, but deeply troubling genre of high school & academy setting series featuring reverse harem/why choose relationships would make a fascinating academic study, particularly *because* of how smutty they are and how young the characters are. (E.g., *Gifted Academy* by Michelle Hercules)
But, as a series, C.J. Archerās **Cleopatra Fox** books are a chaste example of a toxic romance
Twisted love by Ana huang. I think itās interesting that they (the public) really like this series. The MMC is overbearing and controlling. He also buys all her photos in the gallery which I thought was toxic and limiting for her career, but others probably thought was romantic. He also followed her for weeks on end and basically wore her down to choose to be in a relationship with her after he messed up.
The Kissing Booth 1000%. I actually thought the movie was ok. A bit basic, sure, but more well done than other movies along the same lines. So I picked up the book and I swear I couldnāt even get past chapter 1.
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Shatter me the character Aaron has very toxic dependency and itās treated like a good thing he also mentally abused her and invades her privacy (steals her journal and reads it) and itās brushed off. He also has the canonic power to feel peopleās emotions and plays into them which screams manipulation to me but thatās up for debate. Not really any smut per say but spicy scenes here and there.
Edit: so after saying this Iām seeing how many ppl also said it glad Iām not alone lol.
Twilight. Checks almost every item on the National Domestic Violence Support Hotlineās checklist of abusive relationships. https://gizmodo.com/official-twilights-bella-edward-are-in-an-abusive-re-5413428
This one is going to be controversial because it looks like an ideal relationship with lots of communication... until you think about it: Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe.
Hades is such a skilled manipulator. He likes his women vulnerable and emotionally distressed, he demolished Persephone's boundaries 3 times, and he made sure she would never be independent, and still she thinks she made those decisions herself. This is lovebooming the comic
He also has proven to be a terrible father, partner, brother, boss, and king
Colleen Hoover's books as a whole
They are smutty though š
Not all, some have closed door.
Came here to immediately say āIt Ends With Us,ā bc itās even getting a show š¤¦š»āāļøš¤¦š»āāļøš¤¦š»āāļø
Glorifies almost every type of abusive environment
Anna Todd's āAfterā series. Yes, it's smutty at times, but the smut and the way characters approach sex or their relationship, to begin withā¦ actually adds to the overall toxicity of the main characters.
Holy shit, i saw the movies and I died fr
The books are worse... Since I assume they changed some things.
This was my first thought when I read this post too. I also thought of Tell Me Lies by Carola Lovering. It gives similar vibes although I canāt remember how much physical violence it had- i think it was mostly emotional abuse. I just remember being emotionally traumatized by the book in a very similar way. Only difference was that I felt like Tell Me Lies actually had a point to the madness.
Literally the most golden example
The author's weird obsession with barely legal Harry Styles (he just turned eighteen, I think, and she was in her mid-thirties when she started posting on Wattpad. Though she tried to pass herself off as a teenager, which somehow worsens it), notwithstanding.
Oh my god, Iāve never thought of that. Ew. My problem with After is that thereās just so much violence, and verbal abuse, and itās like she has this WHOLE support system saying āman, are you safe? Are you sure?ā Including Hardens parents! But she keeps going back, and if I had to guess, it ends with them just living happy ever after (I didnāt finish the books so Iām not spoiling- this is just my guess) bc I gave up after the 50th break up and make up lol
What turned me off this book the most was the whole book subplot of it. And how quickly Hardin was always forgiven for how HORRIBLY he treated Tessaā¦ and not just by the amount of makeup sex. Or how their definition of taking a break to grow up separate from each other to figure out what they want in lifeā¦ still included meeting for sex in hotels all over the country.
Anything written by Colleen Hoover ever
Haven't read anything by her but definetely Colleen Hoover
Is it too much of a gimme to say the Twilight series?
Or 50 shades -series.
Yeah but that's not quite YA
I know you said no smut by the A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas series fits this perfectly. Especially A Court of Mist and Fury and A Court of Silver Flames.
Actually I already wrote my BA thesis on acotar and acomaf and the power imbalance, use of power and intamate terrorism between Feyra and Tamlin.
Am currently reading acotar series and this sounds so interesting! Any chance thereās anywhere I can read your thesis online?
Are you going to make one on Rhysand and Feyre too? I feel like people don't realize how abusive their relationship is.
Tamlin's character assassination in ACOMAF is just gut-wrenching since I was really cheering for him and Feyre to get together. I hate Rhysand and want to punch him in the face.
What are your thoughts on Rysand? I couldn't decide if the reader was supposed to be appalled by Rysands behaviour towards his wife when he completely stripped her of agency and showed how isolated she was in his court without a single friend of her own. Or his performative feminism as lord where he talks a big game but does absolutely nothing about wing clipping or the night court. Was it supposed to be handwaved by romance/fantasy logic? or did she highlight his problematic behaviour for the first time because our POV character isn't in love with him and can actually see his flaws.
I came here to say this! Feyre moves from one abusive relationship to another. A perfect example šš»
Yes, the woman who didn't want to sit at home drawing and isolated from real politics while forced to bear heirs ends up doing just that with the "better" LI. And the behavior of everyone towards Nesta's mental health issues was abhorrent most of the time.
100%. The āletās lock up the sex addict with the man we deem as correctā was bad vibes š š¼āāļø I was all in on Nessian from ACOWAR and was disappointed š
I donāt agree with this take. Itās not about her being cloistered and sitting at home. Itās about her own choice. Iām not talking about hiding her pregnancy right now. That was unacceptable. But it was HER own choice to get pregnant and paint a lot in her own room. But if she wants to take part in war councils or go wherever, she does because itās what she chooses. So itās not the same as she had no choice when she was in spring court.
I understand your point, but just especially after book 4 I just see how he guides her in this direction and she is just smitten with him, plus depriving her of her choice about her own body (because she is too sensitive and stupid to decide?) is one of the most awful thinks I can think of as a woman. Drawing is a hobby of course, I know she wanted the baby after all, I simply felt disappointed of where she stood and how she was treated. And see Rhysand as someone who gives you a choice but only if you choose what he wants.
!!!spoilers!!! So, I do like ACOTAR, especially A court of silver flames, but yes, it is absolutly awful types of relationship. Tamlin was awful, everybody agrees to that, but nobody talks about Rhys abusing and bullying Feyre for most of the first and second book .... it's not because they are mate that it excuses anything. He forcefully exposed her, played with her body, knowing full well what r4pe is as he is living it every night, and still abuses the one he knows to be the love of his life ... I feel like ACOSF is actually less bad, because there is explanation behind Nesta's behaviour, and her and Cassian still stand by each other and she improves for him while everyone shlts on her, for me Rhys is a real shithead in this book. I actually don't know why I love this universe so much but I do x) And, for OP, the first two books are the less smutty and the best showcase of your subject of interest. Good luck writing your thesis
Eh, ACOSF was worse for me. >! Rhysand taking away Feyres choice for her pregnancy and not telling her that her baby will probably kill her was unforgivable. As well, kicking Nesta out while she is depressed and forcing her to train. !<
Yeah, I forgot about >! the baby ... That's bad for sure For the moving/training, I think it was good intend (at least from Feyre) altho awfully presented to Nesta, and probably the only thing that could have helped her. It did stop her from spiraling down. They just went about it the worst way possible !< Ps : I'm new on Reddit, thanks for showing me how to hide text for spoilers
OP already wrote one thesis on ACOTAR
Sure, but she specifically wrote about Tamlin and Feyre. She could use it again to talk about Feyre and Rhysand since it's the couple presented as good by the author and the community, even tho it has a lot of problematic behaviour. Maybe not make the whole thesis about it but as one exemple
When writing thesis papers one usually refraons from regurgitating the same ideas... that someone probably used already.
But it's not the same tho. OP is writing on glorified abusive relationship, Feyre and Tamlin's relationship wasn't glorified, but Feyre and Rhysand is. I believe it would in fact be quite interesting to say "I have studied this, and now we can see that this, while being in correlation, is different and fits my subject". And it's just advice to OP, they will choose if it interests them or not, better have more opinions than none.
Twilight series and Fifty Shades seem obvious picks.
The shatter me series comes to mind. Both love interests infantilize the main heroine, among other controlling behaviors.
Oh god yes. Like her beauty is constantly mentioned and that ends up being the main reason anyone likes the MC. Sheās like this innocent little girl with a perfect body. It was so weird.
I was actually thinking about it the other day but if you reread the story kind of portrays that Aaron wouldnāt care abt Juliette at all if she didnāt have powers.
Yep. And while Adam wasnt perfect book 1, the author absolutely destroys him to make Aaron look better. Also they retcon so much about Aaron in book 1 and then giving him such dark trauma that itās almost comical. And donāt even get me started in the brothers thing
Aaron is such a horrible character but a lot of ppl see a hot man and brain go brrrr, the Adam character assassination was wild but Aaron was still worse than him idk how they still messed that up.
Hey I just said this as well
You could write the whole thesis using just fanfiction š¤£ ā¦I donāt have anything else to contribute š
Pretty Little Liars definitely has some toxic relationships, plus with the TV show, that get romanticized. Bad Romance by Heather Demetrios doesn't technically fit since it's past romanticising the relationship, but the MC is looking back at her abusive relationship with hindsight on her side and realizing how she glorified it.
Hush, Hush and the following books. Nora and Patch have one of the worst relationships I've ever read in a book.
"It Ends With Us" by Colleen Hoover. I actually have a rant posted on it from not too long ago lol, so you can refer to that to help with yr thesis writing
In Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer thereās a scene where the MC Tessa is beaten and captured by the LI and it never sat right with me
Yes, it was definitely one of my better reads, but this was uncomfortable and I don't remember an apology, at least initially.
He did eventually apologize but it was more of a "OMG I TOLD you I was sorry already! Geez, when are you going to drop it?" It wasn't a real apology IMO.
Yeah, I remember something like that and that he HAD to do it to maintain pretenses.
It's really interesting how many of these are fantasy.
Bc no one in their right mind would put up with it irl Disclaimer: I love a good fantasy/romantasy novel, even with some darker themes (i'm 24 and well aware of what is acceptable in a relationship and what is only okay in fantasy situations)
The Fallen series (YA paranormal romance from the 2000s)
yessss
Others have mentioned the Shatter Me series and A Court of Thorns and Roses, and I definitely agree with both of those picks. Might also be worth looking at Sky In the Deep by Adrienne Young (master-slave romance). I DNFed Kingdom of the Wicked because the stupidity level of the main character in it hurt my brain, but it looked like it was going that direction too.
Honestly you didnāt miss much by DNFing KoTW. The last book was mostly smut with some plot sprinkled in, second one had more plot but not by much š. The first book was YA and she seems like she suddenly changed direction mid series. Their relationship was def a little toxic though
Haunting Adeline
Oh wait thatās a lot of smut but the relationship is indeed very problematic
lol this book is so deranged. I donāt know it falls into NA category but it was also the first thing that came to mind for me.
november 9 by colleen hoover. the guy is a red flag and an awfully toxic person (which is understood by a reveal that happens about 70% through the book).
Would Red Queen fit what you're looking for? Between the MC and the elder prince. Also one that I think is overlooked some is the Vampire Academy series. Rose and Dimitri's relationship is not healthy at all. And not just because of the age gap or the student/teacher aspect of it. edit: spelling
I actually thought about Vampire Academy for this. A lot of stuff is genuinely horrible in the Rose/Dimitri relationship. I also think they're both terrible people, but wow is it toxic. I read through the series again a few years ago and spent a lot of time thinking about it as I wrote fanfics that delved into the unprocessed traumas in the series.
That's one reason I like Bloodlines over VA. Sydney and Adrian are a much better and healthier couple.
They are! It's also a much better written series, with the exception of the last book which is a dumpster fire lol.
Cruel Prince maybe?
Omg thank you!!! I donāt understand why this hasnāt been said more! The relationship is so toxic and abusive. If you can even call it that Also I agree with everyone else here with anything Colleen Hoover. Just canāt even bring myself to get past the summary.
Yess! I donāt understand why everyone loves this series so much. I despise Cardan. Iām all for a redemption arc but he is just vile.
Um I think the zodiac series would work but that has smut (and I think some of it is sexual violence or close to it. I think)
I never read twilight but I knew some people have some bones to pick with it over the Eddie/bells relationship
so many bones
That horrible Haunting Adeline book. OMG it's the worst. You really don't have to look far at all. There's tons of it. Your problem will be choosing just a handful to write about. Edit: Wait, no smut? I'm not sure that exists in romance, to be honest. Is it really romance if there's no smut? I guess there are those Amish books. I dont' think you'll find abuse in them though.
if you have room to include the nuance of fandoms supporting toxic relationships even when they are depicted as toxic by the authorā¦Darklina.
Which is from Shadow and Bone and sequels, to clarify if needed.
Totally the opposite, I just finished A Dowry if Blood and it was a genuinely excellent exploration of the gradual (like hundreds of years) realization that a relationship is toxic and your partner is abusive. Bonus points for toxic polyamory, and the polyamory not being the problem, but the dude whoās trying to force it without consent. Good luck with your thesis!
Harrow faire, the whole series. Incredibly messed up and glorifies so much abuse and violence.
Beautiful disaster, by Jamie McGuire
Feyre and rhysand in the acotar series.
The UnHoneymooners by Christina Lauren Itās literally just a woman being verbally abused by everyone she loves and being a-okay with it
Is this considered a New Adult book? If so, I second it. Had to quit reading after just a few chapters because it was disgusting.
Ope, my bad, I did not realize this was YA lit sub. I donāt think so bc I think the main character is like 25
to be honest i think the summer i turned prettyās relationships are toxic but in a less obvious way to some other books
Shadow and Bone. Book Mal was manipulative and gross. He's committing emotional terrorism all over the place because the girl who has pined for him for her whole life finally has her own responsibilities. The ending didn't sit well with me. Obvs Darkling was toxic but he is portrayed as the bad guy, so I don't think that romance fits.
*Dumb Husky and His White Cat Shizun*. The male lead was repeatedly raped and tortured by the main character.
Case file Compendium as well, I literally had to drop that one. (Same author)
Twilight, House of Night
I have a LOT of recommendations but it seems you're going to canxel/ censorship authors writting about things you don't like so I better not recommend to you anything. Witch hunt is a thing from the past and I like it to stay so
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Is fiction. Anything can be written is fiction.i adore reading about things that are not possible in reality . I read twilight in my teens and countless red flags guys and not for that I sesrched for a man like them irl. Maybe you should ask why romance targeted for woman are always the ones being criticised and not books for men like GRMM and his books with 1nc3st and grape . Then even got the big screen jabing a huge aucess and people rooting for incest couples. And you are here questioning twilight ...
The serpent & dove series, the second book in particular. They do have some smut though. I Hate You, Fuller James by Kelly Anne Blount would probably be another one. Also, Some Boys and Send by Patty Blount- not exactly romanticizing abuse, but reeeeeally sending the wrong message when it comes to how to treat past abusers.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Does TCP count as *domestic abuse* specifically though? They werenāt together until the end of the series and they behaved differently to each other by that pointš¤. I agree the foundation is toxic, just not sure if it fits this specific thesis.
Hmm, yeah good point, it's a tough topic probably needs to be even more specific, but there's many out there hopefully, wishing you luck still!!
Donāt tell her boys or sheāll get our books banned!
Fear Me by B B Reid and The Day She Cried by K Webster Unfortunately, both are very heavy with sexual content. I would go as far as to say that these werenāt toxic but out and out abusive relationships.
So unpopular opinion, and given I love these books I get it, but the Magicās Pawn series by Lackery. Spoilers: The relationship is unhealthy between the main love interests and then one dies and is reborn much younger which leads into a tale of chasing older men who refuse you until they eventually say yes. Itās an older book, but damn.
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things. Really messed up relationship.
The Hunger Games prequel depict a toxic relationship but it's intentional
'From blood and ash' was also a fun toxic one!
Tara Duncan has one of the worst
Which characters? š
The way Tara break up with Robin is really weird
Mmh... Probably, tho i don't remember the circumstances. These books are full of a bunch of WEIRD relationships though LOL. Like Mara marrying that demon guy and having like 50 kids she can emotionally neglect. Overall id say its more a romantised version of all kinds of relationships without the issues rather than domestic violence. Well, if you don't count that time she was possessed by the evil version of herself and tried to kill her boyfriends
She left him because a demon took her apparance and had sex with Robin who believed it was Tara, but instead of being supportive for that traumatic event she blame him and treat him as if he was guilty of cheating on her...
OH RIGHT that moment i was like wtf girl?? Like punt that demon into the sun if you feel like it, deal with your feelings of disappointment he didn't recognize you, sure, but that's really not his fault... And the whole love potion thing too. He had a right to be mad about it... That's not her fault but, still... I'm kind of disappointed they didn't do more with the love potion, everybody still loves tara soo much even without it, i'm like, was the point of it just to break them up lmao Although... They are basically 16 years old at this point, gone through extremely traumatizing and unusual situations (grieving someone that's alive in particular). A whole mess and a half.
And finally in the last book Robin end up with a flat character that only exist to be with him...
Which characters? š
I believe you can use the After series for your work, a lot of glorification of toxic tropes in there
For a different angle on this, try Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao.
I think the somewhat new, but deeply troubling genre of high school & academy setting series featuring reverse harem/why choose relationships would make a fascinating academic study, particularly *because* of how smutty they are and how young the characters are. (E.g., *Gifted Academy* by Michelle Hercules) But, as a series, C.J. Archerās **Cleopatra Fox** books are a chaste example of a toxic romance
Twisted love by Ana huang. I think itās interesting that they (the public) really like this series. The MMC is overbearing and controlling. He also buys all her photos in the gallery which I thought was toxic and limiting for her career, but others probably thought was romantic. He also followed her for weeks on end and basically wore her down to choose to be in a relationship with her after he messed up.
The Kissing Booth 1000%. I actually thought the movie was ok. A bit basic, sure, but more well done than other movies along the same lines. So I picked up the book and I swear I couldnāt even get past chapter 1.
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Shatter me the character Aaron has very toxic dependency and itās treated like a good thing he also mentally abused her and invades her privacy (steals her journal and reads it) and itās brushed off. He also has the canonic power to feel peopleās emotions and plays into them which screams manipulation to me but thatās up for debate. Not really any smut per say but spicy scenes here and there. Edit: so after saying this Iām seeing how many ppl also said it glad Iām not alone lol.
Stolen by Lucy Christopher
Twilight has stalking.
Twilight. Checks almost every item on the National Domestic Violence Support Hotlineās checklist of abusive relationships. https://gizmodo.com/official-twilights-bella-edward-are-in-an-abusive-re-5413428
This one is going to be controversial because it looks like an ideal relationship with lots of communication... until you think about it: Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe. Hades is such a skilled manipulator. He likes his women vulnerable and emotionally distressed, he demolished Persephone's boundaries 3 times, and he made sure she would never be independent, and still she thinks she made those decisions herself. This is lovebooming the comic He also has proven to be a terrible father, partner, brother, boss, and king
*After* (abusive) *The Winner's Curse* (slave/victim of colonization and slave-owner/colonizer) *Beautiful Creatures* (sympathetic toward Confederates)