Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage

27 reviews

lucyyybee's review

medium-paced

2.5

Super disappointed in this book. The title, reviews and cover art really convinced me this would be good. I can’t imagine someone actually finding this book horrifying or thrilling. Several times I believed the book was finally getting creepy but it always went back to underwhelming. “You’ll be desperate to discuss the ending once you’ve recovered from the shock of it.” WHAT? I was shocked at how boring it was. I was hoping the end would have a major twist or insane explanation of the rest of the book. Don’t judge a book by its cover, this is truly the definition of anticlimactic. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Emotional abuse, Blood, Violence, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, and Mental illness

tokki_reads's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Cursing, Violence, Emotional abuse, and Blood

kirahaycock21's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-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

3.75

This book was a little slow for me… I had to stop about halfway through and read two other books, then come back to it. But it was a really interesting book; it had me questioning the main characters motives and mental stability. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Cursing, and Chronic illness

Moderate: Grief, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Medical content, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual violence, Alcohol, Confinement, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Vomit, Blood, Self harm, and Toxic relationship

theimposter's review against another edition

The mom’s preoccupation with her illness was triggering and the mental illness coring for the child was irritating as if Autism/BPD/RSD made her want to kill her mom

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gaslighting, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Self harm

hazle_363's review

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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book was compelling but I was anxious the whole time I read it

I didn’t like the open ending, I wanted to have Janna’s brain explored a bit more and a resolve to whether her and her mom would reconcile

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Domestic abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Cursing, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, Self harm, Blood, Violence, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Grief, Gore, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Body horror

ericaburns1's review

challenging dark emotional 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

3.0

Disappointing ending. Almost wish there was a sequel. Too many loose ends. Big drama and complicated feelings from both Suzette and Hanna kept me hooked and shocked. The book goes back and forth from mother’s to daughter’s pov. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Gaslighting, Grief, Chronic illness, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Blood, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cursing, and Medical content

Minor: Child abuse and Death

Mentions of possession/demons/witches

vsenn's review

dark 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

3.75

Would be 3 stars, but my bias for the secondary themes of Motherhood, Natalism, and Relationship Equity bump up the rating. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Cursing, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Ableism, and Child abuse

Moderate: Sexual content and Self harm

schnanko's review

dark emotional 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

5.0

I have read books that have made me uncomfortable, grossed out, fascinated...this book was genuinely terrifying. I was on the edge of my seat to an extent I haven't been in forever. It was amazingly written and the plot was absolutely incredible. I just finished it and I want to read it again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Torture, Blood, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Sexual content, Medical trauma, Bullying, Cursing, Excrement, Gaslighting, Medical content, Murder, Pregnancy, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Chronic illness, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Self harm

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

eleanorrae's review

challenging dark mysterious 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: Cursing, Blood, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Violence, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, and Murder

tbell0211's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

I almost took away a star because I don’t think the title fits the book at all Lmfao but the book is great honestly. It set up for a sequel if Stage ever wants to write one but is great stand alone as well. It’s traumatizing in all the warmest of ways. It didn’t give me nightmares, but it made me feel genuine emotions like fear, pity, sympathy, anger, anguish. I think Hannah is one of the most beautifully written complicated antagonists I’ve encountered in years, maybe since Severus Snape. As a psych major, this book leaves a lot to unpack after it’s finished, and I adore books that make me think. “The child you love to hate” isn’t a phrase I thought I’d ever say out loud, lol. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical content, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Cursing, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Medical trauma, Panic attacks/disorders, Pregnancy, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Violence