Reviews with content warning for Emotional abuse - Nana

Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Nana by Brandon Massey

8 reviews

thepoieszedlife's review against another edition

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challenging 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

4.0

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tifftastic87's review against another edition

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dark sad fast-paced

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

2.75

The story was decent but it was really hard to feel the tension when I just didn't care about the characters. The characters were kind of flat and dismissive of eachother. I didn't care about Monica (the victim in the story) because when the story was told from Troy's (Monica's husband) perspective he didn't really seem like he cared about her. He only seemed to care about being right, which made it hard to care about him.

The story is kind of predictable, but that wouldn't have been a problem if the characters were more developed. We immediately got into the "tense" part of the story without learning anything about the characters. Well, we did learn two things one is that Monica struggles to parent her strong willed daughter and that Troy is a f**k boy.

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mslaureeslibrary's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.5

I read this book for our book club challenge to read a book found because of social media. This was a recommendation from Jesse on YouTube. The beginning of this novel was so strong. Creepy, eerie vibes right of the bat. I liked the originality of this story. I do feel like it got a little over the top, toward the end of the novel, but overall it was a fun and thrilling ride.

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bites_of_books's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

What a ride!

In Nana we follow Monica as she's grieving the loss of her adoptive mother. At the funeral, she meets her biological mother, Grace, for the first time and thus ensues a journey that will change her life forever. Grace is assertive, confident, and persistent in taking care of her as she grieves. However, there is a darker purpose to Grace's arrival into Monica's life. Her husband is suspicious, even their dog doesn't like Grace.

There were some plot points that did take me out of the story but overall I couldn't stop reading. I read it in two sittings and I'll definitely be looking for more of Massey's books to read when I need a good horror/thriller book.

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ruthypoo2's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

4.0

This was a wild book in that it's one of those where you can see the downward spiral happening for someone in the story, and so can another character in the book, but there's nothing can be done to get someone to open their eyes and quite literally, wake up! There's a constant tension throughout the book and it drives the story, making the reader anxious to know if there's any hope for a happy ending.

The book begins with a legitimately creepy opening titled, "Before..." Picture an elderly widow returning after dark to the large home she lives in alone, and hearing something upstairs she feels compelled to investigate. It's amazing how a good writer can take a setting that you normally feel so safe in, like your own home, and turn it into a sinister haunted house. All it takes is a little creak or open door here and there to get the goosebumps rising on this reader's arms!

The bulk of the story is told from the perspectives of Troy and his wife, Monica who live with their young daughter and son. Early in the story, Monica's estranged mother, Grace, enters the picture and ends up staying with her daughter's family so she and Monica can get reacquainted. Then odd and tragic things start affecting the family, but can these incidents be traced back to the arrival of Monica's mother?

I enjoyed the evolving cat and mouse game that was woven throughout the story between Troy and his mother-in-law, Grace. I think all the characters were well crafted and you either love, hate, or can get terribly frustrated with their action or inaction. The plot was interesting and though not entirely unique, it was presented in a modern and brutal way.

I listened to the audiobook edition and enjoyed the narration of Leon Nixon. Mr. Nixon did an excellent job voicing all characters and presenting their unique and disparate personalities. The narration contributed to the eeriness of the story and built momentum with good pacing.

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