Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Appetite for Innocence by Lucinda Berry

15 reviews

esemple's review against another edition

challenging dark sad fast-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Panic attacks/disorders, Gore, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Murder, Kidnapping, Abortion, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Rape, Miscarriage, Torture, Suicide attempt, and Adult/minor relationship

jnvreads's review against another edition

3.5

Appetite for Innocence by Lucinda Berry - Rating: 3.5/5⭐️

A serial rapists goes after virgin teenage girls. Stocking their entire lives on social media and until he gets the timing right to take them. Holding them in his basement until he’s ready to take the innocence. 

Once in captivity, we get the heartbreaking story that flips from being captive to the hospital after escaping as it follows two of his victims’ stories that they had to endure. 

LIKES:

👍🏾 The story was plausible and informative. The author did a great job handling a difficult subject matter. Mostly in being able to see the traumatic deep routed scars that are left on a person after something like this emotionally, mentally, and physically.

👍🏾 The main characters were beautifully written. My heart ached for Ella. I’ve never wanted to burst out into tears so hard for someone in a book like this. John was the perfect villain. He was disgusting and revolting. And Sarah made me want to yank her by her hair with her Stockholm Syndrome. She was the perfect side kick and villain to finish out the story. It all added these multiple layers to the reality of the situation. 

👍🏾 The pacing was kept well throughout especially with the short chapters and flipping between narratives and timelines. 

DISLIKES:

👎🏾 I found the ending rushed when it came to John. I wish the book explored more about the kidnapper’s motive and background though, since the means and opportunity to commit the crime were so detailed.

👎🏾 There were a couple times the story dragged a bit, I think more towards the end with the girls coming home. A lot of repetition and parts that could’ve been taken out that wouldn’t affected the overall story. I also wouldn’t consider it exactly a thriller. 

👎🏾 Jocelyn, especially as a mother, annoyed the hell out of me. How do you tend to every physical and emotional need of another child over your own? Especially after you lost her for MONTHS. I got the sympathy, but I can’t imagine not hanging onto everything my kid needs over forcing her into it all. 

Overall, I would definitely check all the trigger warning before getting into it, but a good fast read! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Abortion, Gore, Drug use, Pregnancy, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Pedophilia, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Adult/minor relationship, Slavery, Torture, Sexual assault, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Child death, Murder, Miscarriage, Vomit, Addiction, Alcohol, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

hollyyym's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• 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: Torture, Rape, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, Miscarriage, Injury/Injury detail, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Child abuse, Blood, Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Death, Abortion, Trafficking, Suicide attempt, and Sexual violence

ambr2786's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Great book! Lucinda Berry is one of my fave authors & I love all of her books. This book Def has some trigger warnings but I enjoyed it.

I loved the ending too even tho I didn't expect what happens to Sarah. 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Murder, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Rape, Blood, Abandonment, Sexual assault, Torture, Alcohol, Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Death

ericabailey004's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Rape, Kidnapping, Torture, and Abortion

mackenzieotlowski's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Grief, Gore, Rape, Murder, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Trafficking, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Grief, Gore, Infertility, Abortion, Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Emotional abuse, Blood, Gun violence, Miscarriage, and Medical trauma

check tags for trigger warnings

sbri009's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, Sexual assault, Rape, Kidnapping, and Torture

Moderate: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Death, Grief, and Child death

corywbowers's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Blood, Child abuse, Alcoholism, Rape, Sexual assault, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexual content, Abortion, Forced institutionalization, Pedophilia, Confinement, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Torture, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, and Vomit

lele_t's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

4.0

This book at times confusing followed the story of three young girls and the devastating situation they are placed in. Unlike other stories this book also follows them after their traumatic experience, however I felt the ending was abysmal 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Body shaming, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Alcohol, Blood, and Infertility

Moderate: Rape, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Bullying, Torture, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Violence, Drug abuse, Drug use, Child abuse, Mental illness, Suicide, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcoholism

smixter88's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense 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? Yes

3.0

Lucinda Berry has a beautifully disturbed mind and I absolutely love that. This books topic is absolutely disgusting and disturbing. I also love that she writes on topics that most people wouldn't touch. Her chapters are wonderfully short. Now, that all said, here's my review. 

This started as a solid five. She really set the scene for this book. The different characters had so much written into them. It was like there wasn't a MC, but there are. Her background characters mean just as much. In fact my favorite character wasn't any of the MCs. Then I get to over 65% though and it just starts to fall a little for me. It's like we were built up for all this horrific stuff, and then we just get shoved down the hill towards the end. Ok. Sure fine, maybe it was needed because the ending needs more attention. It honestly didn't need as much attention as it got. I felt like we read the same scene but a different location. I just felt we didn't need to be shoved for a long slow drawn out ending. At the end of the book, it's absolutely a three star for me. I don't regret reading it. It really was a good read, just areas I wasn't a huge fan of. 

As I say with all of her book, LOOK UP THE TRIGGER WARNINGS. She lays out several in this book like all of the others. Her books are not for everyone. 

New rating system 😁 

⭐️ could have been a DNF 10/10 don't recommend 
 ⭐️⭐️ It was meh
 ⭐️⭐️⭐️ it was good but had better potential 
 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ really liked it. Doesn't live rent free but comes to visit every now and then. 
 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  Obsessed! It will live rent free in my head forever and always 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Murder, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Grief, Infertility, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Torture, Trafficking, and Vomit