Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

50 reviews

oddpilot97's review against another edition

challenging 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

5.0

I think I might be obsessed with this book. It’s the first novel I read as an adult that gave me the same feeling as when I read as a child. 

 

Enemies to lovers is one of the best tropes in my opinion. And this book did not disappoint. I appreciated that both characters were complex, with dynamic motivations, and that there wasn’t an uncomfortable power dynamic.

The only tiny critique I have is that the audiobook narrator got a bit whiny at times of high tension. It was a tad grating/melodramatic.
 

The main character isn’t a goodie two shoes, and I loved that. The plot had excellent twists and turns without being predictable, and never got too dull. The twists were well established in advance as well, which I appreciated. It's got my favorite parts of YA without feeling immature.

 

Read this! It’s amazing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent and Slavery

Moderate: Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Bullying, Blood, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Self harm

thejackalopeswarren's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Loved me some morally grey men and women

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Death of parent, Stalking, Death, Slavery, War, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Murder, Drug use, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Violence

e_emmaa's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny hopeful 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Murder, Death of parent, Slavery, Grief, and Blood

Moderate: Death, Blood, Murder, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gore, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Gaslighting

yuidf's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Death of parent, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

dilara2912w's review against another edition

adventurous 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

Graphic: Blood, Police brutality, Racism, Physical abuse, Mental illness, War, Death, Murder, Genocide, Classism, Violence, Toxic relationship, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Mass/school shootings, Body shaming, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Gaslighting, Drug use, and Bullying

ksilvio's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Bullying, Blood, Death of parent, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Violence

Minor: Gaslighting, Miscarriage, and Alcohol

madalina0_0's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious relaxing 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: Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Bullying, Death of parent, Blood, Death, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcoholism and Alcohol

Minor: Sexual content and Child abuse

solaris_zip's review against another edition

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

5.0

I did not expect to like this book as much as I did. If you enter with the intention of looking for romance you’re severely mistaken, which I feel it’s an issue that many do. The book is set up to be a trilogy, book one introducing the characters and a bit of the world. The politics of it mostly. It can feel repetitive, perhaps even boring, but I personally found it very enjoyable. I give 4,5 rather than 5 simply because in some parts I truly struggled to understand what was going on and to remember all of the made up names.

Onto the characters. I adore Jude. A misconception of her character that I have seen a lot is people arguing “if she was so scared of the fae world why didn’t she just left?” She was scared, as she should be considering the morally grey beliefs those fairies hold, but the point is you have a girl, who saw her parents brutally pass away, and move to a world where she *doesnt belong*. But at the same time that’s the only place she knows. She has no connection to the human realm anymore. No education, nothing. She was raised to be a fae. It’s only obvious despite everything she keeps trying. And I found that admirable. How despite being scared, despite having people close to her like her twin sister, who constantly told her to stop trying to “rebel” and to just learn to live with it; she truly never gave up. She went on and fought for what she believed was right. 

I liked how we saw a different face for Cardan, and I like how his and Jude’s relationship is already shifting somewhat.

I despite Locke and Taryn, who went out and betrayed Jude, her own twin sister. We can argue that she was doing the same thing as Jude, survive in a world that doesn’t belong to you. But I like to argue she did the cowardly thing, of which betraying the only person who stood by your side, who almost got killed because she only wanted to defend you, the person who almost drown to make sure she was safe and what does Taryn do..? Ah yes, enstablish a relationship with Locke, of whom painted himself to be this nice guy, who helped Jude when the others tormented her and yet… perhaps he hurt her the most. Dating both her and her TWIN sister. And can we just focus on this for a second? You’re telling me, your guy wants to test your loyalty and so he decides to kiss and have a thing with your twin sister? Like Taryn… what the actual fuck? How was she even ok with this is beyond me 😭💀 

Book one is a book about fighting what you want. Learning to never gave up. Learning that even family can betray you, even your own blood. Learning that friends and acquaintances might come from the most unexpected places. Learning that despite not fitting in, it’s ok. It’s ok to be different, it’s ok to fight against it. And it’s ok to feel you belong, despite people telling you otherwise. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Blood, Bullying, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

mcc1210's review against another edition

I didn’t like the

toxic relationship dynamic between Jude and Cardan. I didn’t like that he almost kills her several times and she’s still attracted to him.

just not personally for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Violence, and Gaslighting

yarnarh's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I love the story. The human being dragged to fae land to live. The story line was intriguing enough from the start for me to continue reading. I love how the writer is descriptive of the world they are building but not to the point of losing the plot.

Some authors would write pages of descriptions and I would be lost about what the plot is. I love the way they write. Few sentences and then move on to the plot. Love the twist and turns though I suspected most of them before it happened. 

BookTok was right about this book. It was good and I enjoyed it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, War, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, and Racism