Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Appetite for Innocence by Lucinda Berry

8 reviews

emschields's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

Besides reading her novella One of Our Own, this was my first full length novel by Lucinda and it most certainly won’t be my last! According to the internet, Dr. Berry herself considers this her darkest book she has ever written. 

I read this via audio, and the switch between the POVs of two different girls along with the dual timeline and short chapters kept me intrigued and wanting to see what was going to be revealed next. The concept and plot line makes me absolutely sick to my stomach and my heart just shattered for what these girls went through at the hands of a monster. This story handles trauma and mental health in a very realistic and relatable way.

I enjoyed Ella’s narration and the raw emotion in her voice, but Sarah’s narration really pulled me out of the story (she sounded a lot like a younger version of Siri reading straight from the page). The ending was anti-climatic and I was hoping for more of a heart-racing thrill ride. 

All in all, enjoyable read! Onto the next book!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Abandonment, Death, Abortion, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Alcoholism

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

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

hauntedantiqueshop's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-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? No

2.5

Very much felt like the plot of a Criminal Minds or SVU episode. I really disliked Ella’s mom,

I cannot fathom refusing to listen to a professional’s advice and actively ignoring your traumatized daughter’s pleads to not make her live with someone who idolized their shared abuser. Ella should have punched Petra as soon as she called her “our mom”.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Abortion, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Pregnancy, Confinement, Murder, and Death

Moderate: Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Trafficking, and Physical abuse

Stockholm Syndrome isn’t a tag but definitely is involved heavily in this book, with a character basically romanticizing her trauma and abuse.

agapemanning's review against another edition

dark emotional sad fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Death, Child death, Rape, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders

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

jazzsaunders_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Pregnancy and Abortion

Minor: Abandonment, Stalking, and Suicide attempt

nabaraditi's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

3.5

 First and foremost, beautiful depiction of after abuse and 

  how substance abuse begins. As a psychology student, I have read in my textbooks, heard from my teachers that people drink or smoke or do drugs to forget the things they had to endure in the past. But reading it in a book makes you realise how it actually happens. 

 

Another thing I really liked it Ella's mother. 

  She represents our society and how we as a society expect victims to just be up and fine and go back to being the way they were before their trauma because now they're safe and not arond their abuser. 

 

And and, another perspective of the victim and how individual differences come to play. How two victims cope very differently with the same abuser. Brilliant!. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Pregnancy, Confinement, Alcoholism, Blood, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, and Child abuse

Moderate: Murder and Rape

Minor: Sexual content and Stalking