Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Mary: An Awakening of Terror by Nat Cassidy

50 reviews

rebrosecca's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

 Disturbing in all the right and wrong ways. I was surprised to learn the author was male considering the main character and 99% of the plot is pre-menopausal women issues. In the end, though, it makes a lot of sense. The misogyny is heavy. The horror is gruesome and uncomfortable. The humor is morbid. The way he paired legit issues about society's portrayal of aging women with gritty, in-your-face violence was unexpectedly confronting. The making of the monsters in this book is chilling and leaves you unsure if the ending is a victory or justice has gotten out of hand. If you want to read something that feels like Stephen King but includes violence against women, this is a solid pick. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Death, Murder, Misogyny, Animal death, Torture, Violence, Bullying, Animal cruelty, Blood, Body horror, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

ncastro098's review

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Mary was a wild ride and took a lot of turns I wasn't expecting. I loved nearly every moment. I listened to this one on audible and the narrator, Susan Bennett, performed the best narration I have ever listened to. She was able to portray all the characters without making anyone sound goofy and really brought the main character to life. Would highly recommend for audio, just maybe get the consent of anyone in listening range, because Mary doesn't hold back. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Gore, and Violence

Moderate: Rape and Gaslighting

Minor: Animal death

staci_stasis's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This was innovative and fun as hell. Bit lengthy around the middle part though. The narration by Susan Bennett fucking slaps, I can really recommend getting the audiobook 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Gore, Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Body horror

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, and Bullying

zankzank's review

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

2.5

I really do not understand the high reviews…

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Bullying, Sexual violence, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Rape, Torture, Religious bigotry, Mental illness, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Child abuse, and Body shaming

princess_marie's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious 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

3.5

It was a good and interesting story that did keep me engaged but it got a little too weird for my taste (almost to the point of being "silly").

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gore, Emotional abuse, Animal cruelty, Death, Animal death, Body horror, Body shaming, Misogyny, Murder, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Blood, Bullying, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Religious bigotry, Violence, Sexual violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Medical content

story_of_steph's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I’m not sure what I was expecting but it wasn’t that. Weird. I didn’t love it but didn’t hate it either.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Blood, and Violence

Moderate: Body shaming, Bullying, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Medical content, Mental illness, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Torture

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Excrement, and Mass/school shootings

brea's review

challenging dark emotional funny 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Bullying, Murder, Blood, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Gore, Sexism, Sexual assault, Animal death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Abandonment, Death, Toxic relationship, and Rape

captainsydney's review

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Misogyny, Death, Gore, Violence, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Fatphobia, Body horror, Bullying, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Animal death

Minor: Child death

This book is super graphic and deals with a lot of heavy stuff, but I think it handles it all really well. There's A LOT but none of it felt gratuitous and all of it was handled appropriately in my opinion and worth it.

sonygaystation's review against another edition

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

5.0

Holy motherfucking shit. This book hit exactly right in all the places it wanted to hit. I was NOT expecting a cis man to be able to do this kind of exploration of female rage and gender but holy shit. I’m in love with this book. I had so much fun through all the nasty humans and gore, and I LOVED Mary and her aunt even though her aunt is the absolute worst human and Mary herself needs some work. But damn y’all Nat Cassidy did the thing because despite being 20 years younger than the MC, I related so much to her. Also it just makes my year when I can find genuine horror that’s not only good but ACTUALLY has in depth commentary and metaphors and doesn’t lazily rely on mental illness and its bastardization. I loved this to pieces. Seriously. I’m about to tell everyone I know to pick this up, Listen to this via audiobook cuz omg Susan Bennett does not hold back!!!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Bullying, Body horror, Death, Dysphoria, Violence, Animal death, Gore, Sexism, Gaslighting, and Blood

Moderate: Torture, Confinement, Drug use, Physical abuse, Body shaming, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Cursing

Minor: Racism, Child death, Fatphobia, Vomit, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Deportation

dehernandez3169's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This is easily one of the best books I've ever read. 

Written by a man, Nat Cassidy was able to write exactly what it is like being a woman, especially a middle aged woman. There were time where I had to put the book down just to process how he was able to capture everything so perfectly. 

The horror is JUST as good as feminist points. It is a rollercoaster and I had no idea how things where going to go. 

Read it. Just... Read it. (Or listen to the audio book. It just as fantastic.) 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Mental illness, and Body horror

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Suicidal thoughts, Bullying, and Emotional abuse