Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Idol by Louise O'Neill

34 reviews

ilana_pop's review

challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.75

Oh my lord... Made me gasp several times.

People love a comeback, especially when it's a beautiful white woman. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Abortion, Gaslighting, Bullying, and Drug abuse

abbieuprooted's review

dark reflective 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Eating disorder, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Gaslighting

nadinej127's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Addiction, Gaslighting, Drug abuse, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Abortion

books_r_cool's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This was so unlike anything I’ve ever read before. It’s safe to say I’m now obsessed with this book and it will be the only thing I think about for a while.
The plot twists of the main character realizing she misremembers things? Exquisite.
This book was packed with social commentary but not once was it boring. The writing style and the storyline in general was SO GOOD.
At the end I liked not a single character, they were all such bad people and they all sucked. The way they were written was so modernly evil.

Samantha in the beginning was a successful woman who had built an empire for herself healing and empowering women through her own stories of trauma and her life experiences. Lisa’s claim absolutely ripped her life to shreds as we saw everything deteriorate from her social presence, her image on social media to her health mental and physical. She goes to her hometown to try to sort this mess out but as the reader we end up seeing everything fall to absolute pieces as we find out that Sam has misshapen so many of her memories and experiences to the point that she believes they’re true herself. These characters are so flawed (not in a quirky girlboss way, they are literally fucked in the head especially Sam). In the end we find out that Sam has gaslit herself once more but for the very major thing that is Lisa’s sexual assault claim being true. Her career is gone, she is a terrible person (and not to mention extremely mentally ill and delusional) and nothing was solved and no one learnt anything. It ended in turmoil I absolutely loved this book.

This book was amazing incredible showstopping and I loved it. (please read cws)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Drug abuse, Gaslighting, Vomit, Abortion, Addiction, Drug use, Eating disorder, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Rape, and Toxic friendship

feebles640's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Bullying, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Alcohol, Fatphobia, Abortion, Body shaming, Drug abuse, and Addiction

Minor: Dementia, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders

anushareflects's review

dark tense fast-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault and Gaslighting

kmglennie's review

challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Sexual assault, Vomit, Stalking, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Toxic friendship, Drug use, and Rape

Moderate: Abortion, Alcoholism, and Addiction

Minor: Pregnancy

pernillelsk's review

dark emotional tense 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Abortion, Addiction, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Bullying

Moderate: Mental illness

parsleysoda's review

dark emotional tense 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Bullying, Sexual assault, Addiction, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Vomit, and Rape

Moderate: Abortion, Suicidal thoughts, Infidelity, Stalking, and Body shaming

abiwalkerne's review

challenging dark reflective medium-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

3.0

This book didn’t quite hit the mark for me. 

It was an interesting exploration of influencer/ cancel culture and different interpretations of the truth. Howeverrrr… I thought it was very predictable and didn’t find any of the ‘twists’ to be particularly surprising. The pacing also felt a little off to me- the ending felt quite rushed and anticlimactic. 

I would definitely read more by Louise O’Neill but don’t think this one was for me! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Vomit, and Sexual assault