Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

The September House by Carissa Orlando

246 reviews

jellyfishleila's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Gore, Death, Animal death, and Child death

Minor: Suicide

wordsareworlds's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoyed this twist on a more classic haunted house story. It had me guessing until almost the end which way it would go, and ultimately I was very satisfied by how everything came together. I keep thinking about the fine line the author walked in revealing the MC's past and wanting the reader to ask just how unreliable the narrator is. Strong themes about the cycle of abuse and how survival can manifest in very different ways for different people.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Physical abuse, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Dementia, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Murder, and Child death

Moderate: Alcohol and Addiction

Minor: Fire/Fire injury and Suicide

ruscin's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

This one had me guessing the whole time! It was gripping, and both lighthearted and dark. I couldn’t tell you what was going to happen right up to the end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Mental illness, Domestic abuse, and Child death

hayley2u's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Blood, and Body horror

Moderate: Death, Murder, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse

jenreads30's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A

4.0

This was a roller-coaster of a book. First, I was  excited, then not so much. Then I wanted it to be over with already, THEN I couldn't get enough. One of the twists I saw coming from the beginning.  But that doesn't change my feelings. I could have done without all the cussing. It was just a little excessive. But overall, I'm glad I finally read it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Violence, and Domestic abuse

dilani's review

dark mysterious tense slow-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

this one’s a different kind of horror. scary at some parts but there’s some dark humor through out that softens it. there are a lot of ghosts in this one, so much so i forgot certain ones existed as the book went on. i liked this book for the most part, but it could have been shortened. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gore, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Alcoholism and Vomit

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

maimy_santiago99's review against another edition

dark funny medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

2.5

This book was recommended to me as funny and scary. It definitely has its so-absurd-it's-funny moments.  Didn't scare me at all but books rarely do. I like that the "it turns out she's just crazy and all the haunting stuff was her the whole time" trope was inverted,  but the whol  thing of the haunting as a metaphor for an abusive relationship was extremely ham-handed and for the first half of so of the story, the main character really reads like a self involved sociopath. The few moments she does something to indicate actual emotion become suspect by how emotionless she is most of the time,  appear to be play acting. I probably wouldn't have continued reading long enough to get to the absurdities and the meat of the haunting if it were much longer a book, but it's so short I kinda just kept plowing on.  It reads more like a first draft than a finished novel but it wasn't bad, just needed a LOT more refining. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Gore

jenmarie96's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse

mari2880's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.5

Loved this book! The plot was extremely well developed. Although some parts had a slow beat, the small moment built appropriately. I liked that this wasn’t too scary but just the right amount. I will absolutely read other titles from this author. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Murder, Mental illness, Death, Grief, Death of parent, and Addiction

Moderate: Physical abuse, Confinement, Addiction, and Death of parent

Minor: Domestic abuse and Fire/Fire injury

shesaidlividly's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Blood, Domestic abuse, Body horror, and Gore

Moderate: Alcoholism, Forced institutionalization, and Mental illness