Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Hide by Kiersten White

8 reviews

emalda's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Mass/school shootings, Violence, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Emotional abuse, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Gun violence, Child death, Confinement, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Murder, Genocide, Gore, Gaslighting, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Chronic illness, and Blood

Moderate: Racial slurs, War, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Toxic friendship, Torture, Religious bigotry, and Racism

novaleestar's review

dark mysterious 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Religious bigotry, Confinement, Death, Grief, Self harm, Suicide, Gore, and Murder

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Child death, Domestic abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Body horror, Torture, and Violence

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Exceptionally creepy and disturbing. This would make a really cool movie. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Blood, Child death, Death of parent, Grief, Gun violence, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Torture, Racism, and Violence

mauvesoul's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Religious bigotry, Blood, Gore, Homophobia, Classism, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gun violence, Violence, and Torture

Minor: Medical trauma, Medical content, Misogyny, and Lesbophobia

krissysbooked's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

 

Sorry Del Ray... you sent me this one a while ago and I only just got around to reading it. In my defense, this is a fun horror suspense novel and we're about to enter Spooky season so I'm reading it at the right time of year! 

We start the book following Mack, a homeless person, who is being offered an opportunity to win $50k by taking part in a competition. Money that would see her gaining monetary security that she hasn't had in a long time. She wants time to think about the offer but is ultimately guided (forced?) into it. 

We pick up the story with Mack being transported on a bus to an undisclosed location with a group of 13 others - a mix of 'influencers' and others like her who have hidden and traumatic pasts. They soon start to figure each other out as they are introduced to the competition space where they have a base camp, some basic supplies, and no cell service. Their only objective is to hide each day between sunrise and sunset, two of them will be found and eliminated from the game each day. 

We are then taken on a suspenseful joruney over the following days where Macks past is coming back to haunt her, we find the contestants have more in common than they think, and we find out that maybe (just maybe) this isn't actually a game after all. All set to the back drop of a creepy, overgrown, disused fairground... perfect! 

Kiersten White has weaved an intriguing, suspenseful story, that kept me guessing and changing my mind right up to the end. A complex cast of characters had me judging all of them for different reasons and then realising how complex they each were. You can never truly judge a book by its cover. 

There are characters that you will love, others that you will hate, and quite a few who fall into the in-between. There are stories of betrayal, friendship, and even love and the extent people will go to, to protect those they care about. Despite being a 'horror' story on the face of it, this story has it all and even if you aren't a horror fan I think you'll enjoy this one. 

The ending was wrapped up nicely but with a sliver of hope for a sequel, and I'd love to see what happens next. 

Verdict: A complex horror that is perfect for spooky season (despite being set in summer!). 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Emotional abuse, Violence, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Trafficking, Torture, Child abuse, and Panic attacks/disorders

senia's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture and Death

Moderate: Suicide

bookishgoob's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? N/A
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

4.5

Holy cow! What a ride this was. A perfect fast paced summer horror book! If you watched & liked “Fear street” on netflix, i highly recommend this book! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Violence, Chronic illness, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Self harm, Suicide, Torture, Domestic abuse, and Religious bigotry

thatswhatshanread's review

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

Let it be known that I am deeply fascinated by abandoned places, but especially abandoned amusement parks. So I was instantly drawn to this book! 

It was sort-of like “The Hunger Games” meets “Ready or Not” (a criminally underrated movie IMO) meets “Stranger Things”. 

I don’t want to give too much away, as it’s better to go in blindly. But I will say I had hoped for faster pacing, and maybe less switches between POVs. The plot was intriguing, though the second half derailed from that intrigue at times. I would also note that, personally, I didn’t really find this read as a horror. Maybe more of a suspense? It had the creepiness factor. 

Not a bad book, though I had wished for more. It definitely surprised me, which is a plus. Would love to see it made into a movie!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Cursing, Death, Abandonment, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Animal death, Bullying, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Suicide, and Violence

Moderate: Ableism, Alcohol, Classism, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content

Minor: Lesbophobia