Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Change by Kirsten Miller

32 reviews

artemisia_the_witch's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-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? No

4.5

A beautiful book, who reflect quite admirably the experiences of middle-aged women. Some parts are quite horrifying, although it sadly depict nothing but reality (apart from some magic powers we wish we had), and others are powerful, adorable, funny, heartwarming and satisfying. The characters are incredibly well-written, and the story don't miss a beat.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Trafficking, and Murder

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Police brutality, and Gaslighting

cinnamonpuns's review against another edition

adventurous dark inspiring mysterious medium-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? It's complicated

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting

cazastrophe's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful inspiring mysterious 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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Vomit, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Pregnancy, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Sexual harassment

cheye13's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Yet another book that I don't think was pitched to me correctly. I had heard it was a sort of witchy book about post-menepausal women starting a coven and gaining powers. This is not that, but the only disappointment I have about it is I still want to read that book too.

The synopsis is more accurate than the elevator pitch I got. These are adult women (though I wouldn't call them all "middle age") who always sort of had these magic powers, and are just now beginning to embrace and express them after meeting each other and beginning to uncover a conspiracy. Essentially it is much more a crime/mystery/thriller with a little magic than it is a true paranormal.

This book gave me so much more than I expected, and I truly enjoyed it. It's cathartic, angry, vengeful. Satisfying in every way I wanted from it. It was also terribly sad. There's a lot of heavy, tense, and upsetting memories and flashbacks, and the crimes involved in the conspiracy are abhorrent. I did find myself tearing up more than once. But the book's message is clear and vindicating and never once felt exploitative.

I was genuinely pleasantly surprised by this book; this is what I want whenever I pick up something in the "women killing men" genre but rarely ever hope for. This one finally delivers.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Sexual assault, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Sexual violence, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Suicide, Grief, Death of parent, and Abandonment

essentially an Epstein revenge fantasy; the story is primarily intended as cathartic, but while the majority of the crimes occur off-page, the story does not shy away from acknowledging their occurrence.

The backbone of the plot is a sex-trafficking ring of billionaire men who kidnap, sexually abuse, and kill teen girls. While these specific crimes are never on-page, the fallout and details of them are included.

Knowing this spoiler does not ruin the story in my opinion. There are unpleasant/criminal police characters, but there is not technically police brutality.

qgg's review against another edition

dark sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

Dark feminine rage in defiance of individual and systemic injustice against women and girls. It’s sure to make most male readers too uncomfortable to bother even though it’s a story that needs to be heard. I have two small complaints. 1. There are twists in the story, but I anticipated nearly all of them. And 2. The female characters were layered, but they still weren’t fully three dimensional women. Because they were archetypes, the women weren’t allowed to stray from their categories. I don’t know a single woman who stays in her category. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

lilifane's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

I loved this! 
This was a lot more fun than I expected it would be, although there are some dark and difficult topics as well. Since I still don't read book descriptions, I didn't know what this would be about and was completely surprised. 
I knew it was a female rage book, but I had no idea about the plot or themes. So this centers around 3 middle-aged women at the beginning of their menopause who discover a dead girl at the beach as well as some supernatural powers within themselves. With these powers, they try to solve the murder that no one else seems to take seriously and generally help out other women and take revenge on men, basically. 
I did not expect a murder mystery to be part of the story and since I love those, I was pleasantly surprised. Thought, the mystery is kind of in the background of the plot for most of the time and is more of a plot device. I think it was rather predictable too, but I didn't mind because I cared more about the characters, themes and messages of the book. 
I loooooved the characters. Not only the 3 protagonists but also their families and their dynamics. The way they talked to each other, to their daughters, to anyone around them really. The way they just stopped giving a f*** and took control over their lives. Amazing. 
The plot was often interrupted by background stories of the women involved which showed how they were wronged by men in their lives one way or another. Usually these kinds of tangents would make me impatient or bring me out of a book completely, but I was enjoying the whole experience way too much here and couldn't put the book down. The misogynistic microaggressions also made me SO angry, because they felt so real. And it might feel like a lot or even extreme, but is it though? The way feminist themes are portrayed here is very on the nose, but it's also refreshing how unapologetic and direct they are handled. 
I'm a peaceful person and I believe in peaceful solutions. But I get there are situations where peaceful doesn't accomplish anything. And it felt so good and cathartic to see these women reclaiming their power and taking revenge in such a satisfying way.
Loved the writing, loved witchy vibes, loved the humor. And the audiobook is excellent. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, Violence, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Confinement, Infidelity, Rape, Car accident, and Death of parent

pstegosaurus's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful inspiring 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? No

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Sexism, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Infidelity and Trafficking

bumblepony's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad medium-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? It's complicated

4.5

I really enjoyed the tone and theme of this book. It spoke to a part of my soul that needed to see some badass women taking the patriarchy down.

I will say there were some parts that dragged a bit, but overall the pace was good.

I think all the characters were well thoughtout and I really enjoyed the surprise ending.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Gaslighting

kingsteph's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Classism

Minor: Deportation

miaaa_lenaaa's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I was very confused about the time line in this book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Classism