Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry

52 reviews

bekahzabel's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

The Perfect Child is told in alternating points of view. Focusing on a couple who’s struggled with infertility, a social worker assigned to a strange child abuse case, and a seemingly innocent mysterious child.  

All the Bauer’s ever wanted was a baby. When a mysterious young girl shows up at the hospital with terrible injuries, she wins over Christopher Bauer’s heart. The Bauer’s decide to take Janie into temporary foster care, with the intentions of helping her transition and adjust to a better life. As Janie’s behaviors and past begin to unfold, things seem to get darker at every turn and crossroads. 

Boy oh boy, things got pretty dark between these two covers. Very hefty child abuse and violence trigger warnings. 

For me, The Perfect Child had me white knuckling my kindle, and salivating for the next page. Even though I guessed some of the twists, this dark tale was a great read for me. My only qualm is how abruptly it wrapped up. 4/5 stars! 🌟

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Infertility, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Murder, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Medical content, Death of parent, Violence, Vomit, Animal death, Self harm, Miscarriage, Death, and Medical trauma

laura13282's review against another edition

challenging dark sad fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse

averageawkwardasian's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Version: audiobook narrated by Christine Williams, Erin Bennett and Dan John Miller

 

Start slow and warm then gets rather upsetting towards the end. The contrast paired with the rush towards the stark ending makes the whole experience more unsettling. 

The 3-person narrative brings different perspective to the same events and added more suspense and mystery.

Certain triggers in the later part of story might be hard to stomach.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Child abuse, and Infertility

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, and Mental illness

Minor: Blood, Confinement, Murder, and Medical content

amaranth_wytch's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, and Grief

Moderate: Self harm, Torture, Violence, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Vomit, Blood, Body horror, and Medical content

Minor: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Ableism

agapemanning's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal cruelty, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Death, Infertility, Abandonment, Animal death, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Mental illness, Miscarriage, and Child abuse

katelynndzindzio's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

If you have ever wondered if someone is born evil or if that is possible then Janie is here for proof. Chris and Hannah wanted nothing more than to have a happy family, as a surgeon and nurse they were the perfect parents for the problems that Janie had. Or so they thought. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Death of parent, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Infertility, Grief, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Panic attacks/disorders

april0727's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

The ending was terrible.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Confinement, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Violence, Death of parent, Mental illness, Murder, and Death

annie_1330's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Excellent  book a page turner. I couldn't  put it down. Everything  was expertly written keeping you on the edge of your seat till the end.  This book leaves you going what maybe a sequel?? So good drop what your doing  and go read this.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, Violence, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, and Animal cruelty

aerialwhitney's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• 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, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Child abuse, Animal death, and Abandonment

Moderate: Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, and Infertility

emilycyr14's review against another edition

dark

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

0.5

I’m giving this less than 1 star because it doesn’t even deserve that. I DNF’ed at 70% because it made me sick to my stomach. Do not take trigger warnings lightly. This book is graphic as fuck and I’ve read my fair share of horror. This was worse especially because it was graphic just for the sake of being graphic

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, Animal cruelty, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Animal death, Blood, and Child abuse

Moderate: Infertility and Gaslighting