Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Você by Caroline Kepnes

74 reviews

arthur_ant18's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Confinement, Suicide, Kidnapping, and Alcohol

Minor: Self harm

bookobsessedfamily's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

I hadn’t heard of this book before seeing the series on Netflix. My husband and I started it, then I realized it was a book. I usually hate seeing the movie or show before reading the book. I decided to pick up the book so I could complete the series before Netflix does. 😉

If you like thrillers you will like this one. If you like books about serial killers, you will like this one.

This book is very different from typical thriller books though. Instead of being written from the perspective of the victim, it’s written from the perspective of the villian.

Joe works in a bookstore. One day Beck comes in to grab a couple books and Joe feels like there is an instant connection. But is there really?

Joe knows everything about Beck, but it’s so easy because Beck is such an open book. He will do anything to have her, but will his love for her go too far?

I should add there should be a trigger warning for stalking and captivity, but it’s also a thriller. This does include some mildly spicy 🌶 stuff. There is also a bit of foul language. I only add this because I know that some avoid books that have some of these things.

I really liked this book, I only gave it 4.5 stars because there were parts that I felt were so unrealistic that it took me out of the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Cursing, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Kidnapping

sophiesometimesreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

I have wanted to read this book since I first watched and was mesmerised by the Netflix adaption. Unfortunately, I think that also impacted my rating as I ultimately knew what was coming and that’s where it was a 4.5 and not a 5 star read for me. 

Despite this, the book was a really intriguing read and really toyed with your head. The first/second person dual prose made the book different and interesting, and really highlighted the inner workings of Joe’s head. I even found myself feeling somewhat sympathetic for the guy when he was getting ghosted but had to remind myself that he literally

killed multiple people, including his ex-girlfriend

and he deserved to get ghosted. Plus, the only reason he felt the way he felt was because

he was stalking Beck and reading all of her emails

. If it weren’t for this, he wouldn’t have known she was still interested.

I think the prose also played into what made this book so creepy, particularly as a woman. It made me feel kind of icky that you could truly think someone is an amazing person but they could be someone completely different without you even knowing, because there are definitely people who look at the world and women in particular the way Joe does.

Overall, a really interesting read, one that you feel like you should look away from but can’t. Top that off with very unlikeable characters that you just can’t stop reading about. Very interested to see where the story goes in the next one.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Violence, and Murder

vkitoria's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.75

this is a book of many contradictions. it’s difficult to read, yet impossible to put down. joe is a horrifying lunatic, yet so painfully human as a narrator. you want to root for beck or the people in her life but you just can’t because shit, joe is right, they ARE terrible.

i watched the show when it came out, before reading this, and i was still gasping over every plot point i already knew about because the tension is just that good. maybe one of the best horror novels i’ve read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Domestic abuse

Minor: Rape

jessw17's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Classism

Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Torture, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

megselyane's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, Stalking, and Murder

Moderate: Addiction, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, and Abandonment

emory's review against another edition

challenging dark tense 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, and Sexual harassment

xfallenxnightx's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense 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

3.5

Very unsettling, being written from the perspective of Joe is an interesting voice choice that makes the novel even more uncomfortable to read. Many scenes had me cringing. All the characters are completely unlikeable in my opinion, but something about that made the novel more appealing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, and Gaslighting

Minor: Child abuse

chinaskye12's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Stalking, Murder, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Toxic friendship

Minor: Child abuse, Misogyny, and Sexism

mariaviola's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Stalking, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Car accident, and Gaslighting

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Alcohol