Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

One of Us Is Back by Karen M. McManus

10 reviews

megnut's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, and Murder

melodyseestrees's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.25

The characters are diverse in that there are LGBTQ+ characters. All characters feel very white, even though some of them may not be. This may just be an error in reading on my part or some sort of internalized stereotype however. 
This book starts as possibly the slowest and most boring book of the trilogy. The first forty percent of the book contains a lot of set up and very little suspense. The characters also feel like they should all be in their late twenties, even though two of them are in their late teens. They don't feel old in the way most other traumatized characters do either. They seem mostly unphased by the events of the last two books other than when there is an active threat. 
There are several potential antagonists being hinted at throughout the novel.  This is often a very nice technique however I felt the technique was a bit fumbled upon the reveal.

It winds up being none of them. It is two characters, one who shares a work place with one of our main characters and another character you lowkey forget exists until the reveal.

 
The world is also unrealistic in how it handles certain events

Owen being revealed to be complicit in the actions of Jared in book 2. The whole town just seems to shrug and go 'huh. okay.' The town also seems fine with revealed accusations that Jake's legal father killed his biological father.

There was also very unrealistic use of an ankle monitor. This is partially justified by the incompetence of the local police.

You have only a few minutes before the ankle monitor alerts the police of any potential tampering. Jake would have been found before he even had a chance to be missing.

 
The ending is a happy one with promises at a good future for all of them. Well for everyone who survives. Hooray for therapy!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death, Confinement, Car accident, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Murder, Blood, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Violence, Gun violence, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cursing, Addiction, and Alcoholism

Minor: Toxic friendship, Bullying, and Toxic relationship

Drug use due to the drugging and kidnap of several characters, past and present. There is also mild discussion of the nonconsensual recording of characters during sex acts.

hales_1243's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

3.75

While this isn't my favorite book in the trilogy, I do like how it ended. I love that the Bayview crew gets a happy ending, while also growing and acknowledging what they've been through. The pacing was nice and I really enjoyed the story. It did get a little dull halfway through, but I think it picked up again after the final reveal in part 1.

I loved the discussion about privilege and how it plays into the legal justice system. </Spoiler>

In regards to a potential drug use trigger,

a character was roofied at a party.

In regards to a potential sexual violence trigger,

there is a storyline discussing nonconsensual recording of sexual acts.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Drug use, Gun violence, Murder, Grief, Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, and Car accident

Moderate: Alcoholism, Cursing, and Addiction

styxx's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Toxic relationship, Death, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Grief, and Gun violence

emmagrace09's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Kidnapping, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Classism, Gun violence, Alcoholism, and Cursing

notlikethebeer's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

Kept me guessing all the way through - I was so sure I had figured something major out, almost to the point of giving up on the book, yet I was completely wrong! I still think that some of McManus's stand-alone books are better, but I did enjoy my return to Bayview.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse

mmalone's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Sexual assault, Car accident, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Stalking, Bullying, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Rape, and Torture

bekah1210's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Kidnapping, Infidelity, Violence, Alcoholism, Death, and Addiction

Minor: Classism, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Gun violence, Grief, Alcohol, and Cancer

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

It’s been two years since the original Bayview Four had to prove they were innocent in Simon’s death. Then the next generation had to play their way through a deadly game of truth or dare. Now, everyone is home for the summer and ready to move on with their lives.

But someone else has different ideas. When a strange message shows up on a billboard in Bayview, at first no one thinks anything of it. However, when a member of the Bayview Crew disappears, they realize this is serious. A new game has surfaced. And everyone is a target.

Thanks to Delacorte and NetGalley for an advanced copy of One of Us Is Back by Karen M. McManus to review! I had to round out the trilogy, just to see how McManus ends it. Fans of the first two books will be pleased with this ending, giving everyone a send off in the most Bayview way possible.

You’ll find a lot of the classic Karen McManus elements in this book, with hidden family secrets, a few twists and turns, and of course, high stakes. I did like that as narrators, we got a mix of the original four and some of the characters in the second book. It added a nice variety, and help with the overall mystery of the story.

We also get some flashbacks in this one, which don’t make sense until the end of the book. I don’t think McManus will be returning to this set of characters, but I guess you never know! It did feel more final than the other two stories, though. Plus, McManus built on the character development from the previous two books, and I think that works to her advantage.

Do I think the story in this one was maybe a little far fetched? Perhaps, but I think that’s because this didn’t necessarily need to be a trilogy (but I get why it was). All in all, fans of McManus’s other books will still devour this story, and it acts as a good send off for these characters.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Death

Moderate: Bullying, Alcoholism, and Addiction

Minor: Cancer, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, and Drug abuse

cover2covertx's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Murder, and Death of parent

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Stalking, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Drug use, Cancer, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Classism, and Grief