Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Just For the Summer by Abby Jimenez

361 reviews

meguniqueuser's review against another edition

medium-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

2.5

Can’t lie, I kind of hate the premise. I hate when people think they’re cursed, also the book mentions soulmates and The One several times. 

The writing is fine, but not good. It seems like a narration of a movie that says every thing that the actors do: “he caught the keys against his stomach”, “I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen, then took a shower and blew out my hair”. It was like this every page. It’s nice seeing details in movies when it doesn’t slow down the story but in a book it starts to get maddening. Pretty sure it used “submersion experience” when it meant “immersion experience”. 

It felt like a fanfic of a greys anatomy knock off show, or some other tv drama. It’s overly dramatic. So I guess if that’s what you like you might like this book. 

Also, it was trying to do too much by focusing on two main characters both with trauma and therapizing them. To the point that this book felt more like a trauma dump and therapy discussion than a fun story or romance. 

It also bothered me that the four year old sister acted more like a two year old and the twelve year old often acted like a fifteen year old. 

FYI swearing throughout and sexual stuff but nothing too explicit or long. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Sexual content

aileron's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Vomit, and Abandonment

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Death of parent

Minor: Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Medical content, Dementia, Car accident, and Fire/Fire injury

katmystery's review against another edition

emotional reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

A romance novel that stands out because it doesn't romanticize anything. This book follows two protagonists who have undergone significant trauma as they meet, suffer through more painful life events, and take on all the gory, unglamorous parts of life together. I wasn't sure about it at first, as it's pretty heavy for a rom com, but it grew on me as the characters did. If you want to read this, definitely check the triggers first.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Vomit, Death of parent, and Abandonment

Minor: Car accident

hrh_victoria's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing fast-paced

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

5.0

This would be a great book club pick. The novel adeptly navigates complex family dynamics, attachment theory, and healthy new love.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Minor: Vomit, Medical content, Dementia, and Fire/Fire injury

somebodys_fool's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad 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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

bookishkale's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny inspiring reflective relaxing sad medium-paced

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

4.5

I had a lot of fun with this, and this is the first romance I’ve really liked in a while. It’s kinda heavy but in a satisfying way. There was a lot of depth I wasn’t expecting. Justin and Emma are really sweet together. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Alcohol

tierraskye's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Abandonment

sharlenegerena's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful sad

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Abandonment

kittkat's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

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

4.25

the best kind of love doesn‘t happen on moonlit walks and romantic vacations. it happens in between the folds of everyday life. it‘s not grand gestures that show how you feel. it‘s all the little secret things you do to make her life better that you never tell her about. 

ich mochte das hörbuch suuuper gerne. es war eine echt schöne, leichte lektüre für den sommer, bei dem man einfach immer lächeln muss. es hatte nicht ganz so viele sommer-vibes wie der titel vielleicht andeutet, aber war auch nicht arg schlimm. 

die protagonistin, emma, war für mich unfassbar relatable und sympathisch. es war so erfrischend, wie hier mit mentalen, emotionalen „herausforderungen“ (for lack of a better word) umgegangen wird. es gab auch so viele schöne momente, in dem die kommunikation einfach richtig war. 

teilweise hatte ich das gefühl, dass die beste freundin, maddy, gar keine echte person war, sondern eher wie ein deus ex machina oder einfach nur ein plot device. sie hat emma durchweg unterstützt und ihre freundschaft war auf jeden fall glaubwürdig am anfang, aber dann hat sie so viele konflikte gelöst und justin tipps gegeben. ohne maddy hätte hier vieles nicht funktioniert und gleichzeitig hat sie selbst dafür zu wenig action abbekommen. JUSTICE FOR MADDY!! 

sonst muss ich sagen, beide protagonisten waren einfach zucker. ich habe die familiendynamik zwischen justin, seinen geschwistern und emma geliebt. emmas mutter, amber, hat für all den tea gesorgt und das ist das einzige, was sie richtig gut gemacht hat.

also sehr empfehlenswertes buch, ich war jetzt aber auch nicht obsessed damit (was man auch echt mal braucht!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

Moderate: Gaslighting

Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Medical content, and Death of parent

historyoftape's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book gave me hope for the Romcom genere as a whole. I liked how it truly did not take itself too seriously (banned from Uber for drunk racoon saving?? The toilet king?) and still managed to vividly portray two people with very different lives and circumstances falling for each other & trying to navigate that. Sure there were parts that were super cheesy but I could forgive them because the rest was so immersive and entertaining. I did not want to like this book as much as I did and originally read it for the 
Norovirus plotpoint that my friends and I had a couple of animated discussions about. But I might pick up some other Abby Jimenez books after this :)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Grief, and Abandonment

Moderate: Alcoholism and Vomit

Minor: Confinement, Medical content, and Death of parent

a parent goes to jail, Noro virus, toxic parent, ptsd