I wasn't sure what to expect from this one, but it turned out to be an interesting story that saw me read two-thirds of it in one day. The book takes a fictional look at the very real subject of toxic male behaviour - the binge-drinking-laddish-banter-objectification-of-women culture. The plot lines developed strongly and eventually cover issues such as depression, homophobia, and sexual assault, and I think that this gave the book much more depth than at first glance.

The story was told from three different viewpoints: Hope - the sole girl on a lads' holiday; her ex-boyfriend Logan, and his new girlfriend Daisy. I thought this worked quite well, and I felt that I got to know Hope and Logan quite well, although Daisy was rather a peripheral character until her section. The only real criticism I have is that I didn't feel like the stories were actually concluded satisfactorily - maybe that was the author's intention - but I would have liked a little more clarity, especially for Hope.

Thanks to NetGalley and publishers, Bonnier Zaffre, for the opportunity to review an ARC.

An interesting tale of a group of friends who book a holiday together to soak up the sun (which they do not do much of), to drink themselves silly (which they do a lot of) and generally have a good time. But do they actually enjoy themselves? The relationships between these youngsters is very well portrayed - very realistic. They behave how they think their friends expect them to behave but it becomes obvious that they don't really trust each other as good friends should.
The subjects touched on are very interesting and there are several morals to this story - respect for others, self respect and what real friendship means.
Hopefully a lesson for an older YA reader. Would be interesting for 6th formers to read and discuss openly.
Many thanks to Netgalley/Nicci Cloke/Bonnier Zaffre for a digital copy of this title. All opinions expressed are my own.

So the blurb tells you this is a story of Hope, who goes on holiday with a group of lads to Malia an wakes up one morning on the beach. Her dress is around her waist and she can't remember anything. Where exactly were the boys, her supposed friends?
I assumed this tale would be about a crime but one drunken day and night is actually the catalyst that makes this band of brothers examine their behaviour. Slowly secrets unravel - in the haze of this boozy holiday it seems that one of their number was pulling the strings in a potentially dangerous and underhand way.

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.

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.

Really enjoyed this book of teenage angst and issues, understanding how deep the young mind can run and how messed up life can truly be !

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.

This was an interesting read. I enjoyed that the author broke from the usual conventions of YA fiction and felt that the story was interesting, however, I found it difficult to relate to and engage with the characters.

Toxic by Nicci Cloke was a thoroughly enjoyable read! I read it all in one sitting, and the plot of the story had intrigued me to carry on.

I loved how the author approached the story,: The theme of sexuality, identity and mental health was great. I love books that try to talk about the issues that teenager have, and it kept me reading.

Sometime, I felt that the story could develop on some areas. Personally, for me, I sometimes felt like I couldnt connect with the story, but overall I enjoyed the novel very much.

This book was a great and enjoyable read, and I would definitely recommend it!

Starting in vacation mood, everything is fine except for the rejection, where things do get a little awkward. Then Hope wakes up on the beach alone, not knowing what happened to her and the 'toxic" begins.

Enjoyed how Cloke peppers the straightforward narrative with small, out of the blue, obvious details. A continuous but not tiring narrative since there are no chapters. I love how the questions slowly sneak in after the 'incident' and how people's true colors begin to show.

Dealing with the boys will be boys mentality, that of course does not excuse certain behaviors, Toxic is honest and brutal. It delves into the superficial nature of the party mentality friendships, with the just under the surface chauvinism, bullying and alcohol drenched emptiness. How loneliness and depression lurk in even the most 'social' of situations. And the it's the girl's faulty excuse for outright cruelty.

The story does not go where you think it will, even though there were parts, especially in the middle, when I wished it did. Also the ending doesn't come together as I think the author intended and was a bit abrupt. But that doesn't diminish that it deals with important issues and was a good quick read.

This is a surprisingly good read. This book tries to warn of the consequences or drinking too much. It is a story to make teenagers think of how much they drink, how they behave and what they post on social media. It is a well written page turner. The story is told from several points of view and is definitely thought provoking.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

This book was a fast paced easy read which I really enjoyed, with believable characters and interesting plot that dealt with serious topics like sexuality, alcohol, depression and friendships. Overall I really enjoyed and would highly recommend.

I’m grateful for an ARC of Toxic in exchange for an honest review.
I was intrigued by the premise of Toxic. This opens with a prologue: Hope wakes up on the beach in Greece alone but no memory of how she ended up there. The story then rewinds a couple days later and we follow Hope who’s on a lad’s holiday to Greece. Things are complicated by the fact that one of the boys is her ex-boyfriend. We follow the characters on this boozy, and hedonistic holiday until the night when Hope wakes up alone on a beach...
Unfortunately for me this story just didn’t click. While the characters and the setting of the story was grounded in reality and very slice-of-life the plotting was too slow for my taste. Things didn’t start to happen until 30% in and by then I’d lost interest. Also I thought this was going to be Hope’s story, so found myself thrown off when the narrative shifted and we saw her ex’s POV. The problem for me was that her ex’s narrative took away from Hope’s situation. Overall the book just didn’t come together for me. It tries to cover lots of theme, however I found it too rushed and diluted.

"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

An interesting blend of hedonism and tragedy, that had so much potential but became self-indulgent! I enjoyed the writing but felt the content needed to be restrained.

Hope tags along on a boys' holiday to Greece for a long weekend. Alcohol plays a big part in their ability to have fun. And while on the surface they are having the time of their lives, we know that something bad is about it happen.
The author captures the brilliance of youth and the freedom of a parent-less holiday. The characters feel real and I felt like I was in the room with them. But what starts out as light-hearted and fun, quickly takes a dive into some very heavy-hitting topics.
While its important for YA to understand the consequences of alcohol, I found the relentless rolling out of "drama" (from prejudice, to alcohol abuse, depression, attempted rape) dragged the book down and also diluted the message. The book attempted to accomplish too much.

Toxic 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.

Would probably have been 4 stars if I was in the age group that book was aimed at. But it was a good story and I did enjoy it.

The fast pace of the book made me feel like Id just been on a holiday, and that i needed another.
Hope goes on holiday with the boys, and learns that whilst they re all friends, sometimes guys dont look out for you in the same way. This really was like an episode of reality TV, including the aftermath of holiday choices.
Theres a couple of narrators, Hope, her ex Boyfriend Logan and then Logan's girlfriend Daisy. so we see the story from different perspectives as the story is pieced together.

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."

While this was a unique, interesting storyline for a book it would have benefitted from being split into chapters. I enjoyed the book it kept me hooked but I think the end was a bit rushed and would have been good to know what happened to Hope in Malia. I read this on holiday and was always looking forward to picking it up again so perfect for a holiday read