Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes

16 reviews

sadhbhprice's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, Sexual harassment, Bullying, Mental illness, Biphobia, and Ableism

Minor: Sexual assault, Alcohol, Blood, Infidelity, and Injury/Injury detail

mezzythedragon's review against another edition

emotional hopeful medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

Oof. An important read for everyone, not just for teens, though they definitely need this book. I like how Reyes captures abusers and their enablers, and how they manipulate their victims and their feelings towards them.

While I’m glad Luis got his in the end, I wish I had seen his punishment in real time. First he threatens Ari, and in the next chapter, the epilogue, he’s a registered sex offender. I would have liked to see him suffer.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting and Sexual harassment

Minor: Rape and Ableism

Slutshaming, rape culture

micaelacccc's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring fast-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Misogyny, Sexual harassment, and Bullying

Moderate: Sexual assault and Rape

lingfish7's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

📖🎧This might be my new absolute favorite Latinx YA book! This is the first book by this author I’ve read, and I am so obsessed. Not only does this book explore rape and the me too movement, but it also explores autistic representation and the intersection between being different and being taken advantaged of. 

⚠️TW: rape, sexual harassment, bullying, neurodivergent discrimination 

🧠MC autistic rep | 🗣️Me too | 🏠Found family | 🚲Bisexual rep | 🏳️‍🌈LGBTQ romance  | ✨Nonbinary rep

The main character is a Latinx, autistic, selectively mute teenager. Ariana has a close relationship with her parents, but her parents are going through some things in their marriage that further make Ariana feel isolated. The book opens with a scene where Ariana is waiting for an Uber ride home from a party she attended. At this party, she recalls how Luis never asked her if she wanted sex, and since she is selectively mute, she couldn’t say no. After a season of loneliness and hurt, she finally finds friends - friends who have also been harmed by Luis. They form a club: the Luis Ortega survival club.

This book so beautifully captured the overstimulating experience of being autistic, as well as the gaslighting experience of being raped. The found family community made my heart sing with happiness and the revenge at Luis made everything right again. I can’t even explain how powerful this book was, it gave me all the feelings. ✨💕

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Rape

alreadsbooks's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Panic attacks/disorders, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Mental illness, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Abandonment

jkreads's review against another edition

challenging emotional funny 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

4.5

This was such a wonderful book! I adored the relationships that formed over the course of this story, both romantic and platonic. I felt that this book handled some incredibly sensitive topics with grace and care, not dancing around them but also not falling into trauma porn. 

It was so refreshing to read a book written from the perspective of an autistic person with selective mutism, I’ve read books in the past with an autistic MC but I think this is the first one I’ve read that had that added mutism/nonverbal component. I’m not part of the autistic community however I’m always looking for more stories with good rep! There was some ADHD rep and this is a community I AM a part of, I felt the small glimpse we got to see of that was pretty well done.

There were also a range of different sexualities and gender expressions represented throughout the book and I felt these were weaved in well - they didn’t feel tokenistic or forced, just realistic and representative of a typical high school and of society as a whole.

Overall I adored this book, the audio narration was a wonderful easy listen and I fell in love with the characters very quickly.  The way they loved and looked out for each other was so beautiful.

Definitely be mindful of content warnings going in to this one, as I mentioned earlier it addresses some topics that may be triggering for some.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism

Moderate: Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Rape, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Bullying

Minor: Biphobia

sundayfever's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring fast-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

5.0

This is the YA revenge fic I needed. Wish all the real life SA stories ended in such a satisfying way. Queer and neurodivergent POC  characters kick ass. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Bullying, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Rape, and Ableism

Moderate: Homophobia, Panic attacks/disorders, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Biphobia, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Sexism

Minor: Cursing, Racism, and Dysphoria

kshertz's review against another edition

emotional inspiring 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

What a great book! A powerful book with great representation. The power of community. Diversity and real life situations. Love. Happiness. Heartbreak! It was such a great read. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Rape, Sexual assault, and Racism

mandarae26's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful inspiring fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Gaslighting

maemcferrin's review against another edition

informative inspiring medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Rape, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Bullying, and Mental illness