Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

My Policeman by Bethan Roberts

16 reviews

marthaalice's review against another edition

emotional sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Terminal illness, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Outing, and Toxic relationship

aublyn105's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

 ** spoiler alert ** 4.25 stars <3

i honestly loved this so much. i watched the film before reading the novel, and i really liked seeing each character in my head so vividly. absolutely loved tom and patrick's relationship, but not marion at all. i stand for all marion slander!!! L character fr.

the fact we got to see patrick's journal entries was so exciting. i only wish we got to see tom's point of view, as done with patrick and marion. that would've made the book so much better, tbh.

hated that marion never apologized to patrick nor attempted to get him out of prison, given he obviously did not deserve to be there. and tom not attempting to help either whatsoever. patrick needed him and tom abandoned him completely. L tom.

overall, loved this so much and the entire storyline. i am constantly thinking about it after seeing the movie months earlier. i'm so glad we have a book version too<3 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing, Hate crime, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, Police brutality, Homophobia, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Sexism, Religious bigotry, and Sexual content

Minor: Cursing and Mental illness

slayharrie28's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

My favourite book. I’m so in love with this book. It’s absolutely beautiful and heartbreaking simultaneously. Absolutely in love with it. A book everyone should have read. The movie was incredible too. Patrick and Tom have my heart.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Homophobia, Outing, Toxic relationship, and Hate crime

Moderate: Police brutality, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Minor: Police brutality, Death, and Alcohol

sunny_bumblebee's review against another edition

emotional sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Hate crime, Infidelity, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Sexism and Misogyny

cat_astrophe12's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Hate crime, Infidelity, Medical content, Outing, Police brutality, Toxic relationship, and Death

Moderate: Confinement, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, and Violence

Minor: Death, Miscarriage, and Misogyny

binreads's review against another edition

emotional hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Let me preface this by saying, I did pick this book up so I could read before the movie came out because of my boy Harry.

This book is complicated for me, with characters who are extremely complicated. It's a very sad and tragic story. It's hard for me to completely like or dislike any of them. They all have their strengths and huge flaws. I finished the book and thought "...that's it? that's how it ends?"

I hurt for both Marion and Patrick. I actually really disliked Tom. For using Marion, who is seemingly was so blinded by love she would do anything for Tom, even when he didn't deserve it. And for not allowing himself to be true to himself, and be fully with Patrick. 

I almost wonder if that's the exact reason he chose to marry her. He knew she was in love with him. Maybe he always knew, sensing her infatuation in their younger years. It wasn't fair to anyone involved. He loved Marion platonically but he should've at least tried to show he cared for her. He must've to some extent if he married her? Cut to the part where he finds out Patrick has been arrested and he has the nerve to break down to her. He never had the courage to tell her his true feelings, and yet I guess he suspected she knew? I hate how he gaslit her anytime she stuck up for herself. It was so infuriating. He was way too concerned with the proper way of doing things, his job and reputation and not the people in his life.

I think they were all pretty selfish in different ways. Patrick, for being the 3rd wheel in their marriage, full well knowing here's a woman who genuinely loves her husband and here you are having a secret relationship. Marion, for not leaving Tom and allowing herself to move on - instead writing the dreaded letter that ruins everything and hurts everyone. That was unforgivable. I'll never understand why she couldn't work it out with Tom or just leave him. And Tom, for unfortunately using both people for his own needs. 

Heck! Tom should've married Julia then it could've been a Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo kinda situation. An understanding between them all to love whom they wanted in private. I sensed she was also queer and even rooted for Marion to have feelings for her.

I am really excited for the movie because I think it will portray Tom and Patrick's relationship better on screen. That's the one thing that confused me is I didn't expect this to be so much of Marion. I wish we got to see more from Patrick.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Outing, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Homophobia

Moderate: Medical trauma, Sexual content, and Suicide

sierrabowers's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

I think that this book was a great way to showcase how hard it was to be gay in the 1950s. I do think that this book sheds light on an important subject and I loved reading about a place that I’ve actually been to (Brighton, England) and it brought back memories of my own. It was a sad read, and there wasn’t much of a plot other than a love triangle. I thought it would be better. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Alcohol, Hate crime, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, and Toxic relationship

toofondofbooks_'s review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Yes, Harry Styles made me read this. I will not be taking critiques at this time.

This book tells the story of Marion, Tom, & Patrick. Tom is a young police officer that Patrick and Marion are both in love with - she as his wife, and he, as his lover in a time where it was illegal to be gay in the UK. The tale unravels from Marion and Patrick's perspectives in dual timelines and as the reader you come to see that no one in this book is an innocent - they each have their pain and they each inflict pain on each other in different ways, and it's often extremely sad to read, but the humanity and messiness of these characters are what made this book so readable and engaging to me, so that was the main thing I liked about it. The writing, too, I thought was gorgeous.

Some issues I had - I don't mind an age gap in a relationship as long as it's ethical as well as legal. Tom and Patrick's age gap itself didn't bother me, but I often felt a little grossed out by the way Patrick was always referencing Tom's youth, his boyishness. It felt....eeeehhh, weird. Didn't love that.

Other than that, I just have this feeling that there was something missing for me during this book. I can't figure out what it was exactly, and if I figure it out, I'll gladly post an update, but whatever it was, it left me feeling that I couldn't give this above a 3 even though I did enjoy it for the most part.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Hate crime, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Medical content, Misogyny, Gaslighting, Violence, Ableism, Outing, and Confinement

Moderate: Pregnancy and Racism

Minor: Fatphobia, Transphobia, Suicide, Child abuse, Vomit, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, and Death of parent

yasaman's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I loved this book. I did not like Marion or Tom or Patrick.
But I hated -and will continue doing so- homophobia.

Do you know how many lives are ruined every year, because the majority of the people cannot withstand two adults liking each other?

Fuck homophobia. And fuck homophobes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Police brutality, Outing, Bullying, Sexual content, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infidelity, Terminal illness, and Violence

sib_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Outing, Violence, Gaslighting, Grief, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Lesbophobia, Suicide, Chronic illness, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content

Minor: Alcohol