Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods

32 reviews

reedmorebooks's review against another edition

emotional hopeful mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Misogyny and Grief

Minor: Grief, Domestic abuse, and Gaslighting

saskiajva's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

2.75

Before you start this book, definitely read the trigger warnings. Based on the summary and the tagline “the most charming and uplifting novel of 2023”, i was expecting a cozy story about a magic bookshop that filled you with warmth, hope, and childlike wonder. This book was nothing like that. Instead, it is 431 pages of three different people experiencing and processing horrific and very real-world traumas. The actual bookshop is much more the background setting of their lives, and not at all integral to the plot in my opinion, which i thought was a bummer. this book could’ve easily been set in a realistic world without the bookshop and it would change very little. 

Ultimately the book was fairly captivating and i did read it to the end, but i don’t think i would’ve chosen this had i known what it was actually about. Or at  the very least i definitely would have been more mindful about reading this while in a good headspace. The history was pretty cool, it’s clear the author did a ton of research and there are so many historical Easter eggs interwoven 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Grief, Pregnancy, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Child death and War

Minor: Suicide and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

ash_bees's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-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? Yes

5.0

A single story told from two points in time about 100 years apart.  Very well written, I could feel the heart ache.

Not to distract from the rest of the story line, but so much of this is about the actions of a psychopath, the fall out from those actions, and the victims who are trying to heal.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Grief, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Sexual content, Blood, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Child death, Classism, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, Violence, Mental illness, Torture, Xenophobia, Suicidal thoughts, and War

bookbelle5_17's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad slow-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

Review of The Lost Book Shop 

By: Evie Woods

This charming narrative tells the story of two women, Martha, a woman escaping an abusive marriage to Ireland, and Opaline, escaping an arranged marriage made by her brother to open a bookshop in Ireland. 

            I loved this story about finding yourself through literature and the whimsy of bookshops, though the book was not always happy.  The plot deals with escaping abuse and the horrors of how women were accused of insanity and put in an asylum because men didn’t like ‘hysterical” women.   I liked both Martha and Opaline for their strength and vulnerability.  They were both brave in their way, despite the suffering they experience.  Henry, Martha’s love interest, was charming and awkward, but has trouble being honest about his feelings. Him being an academic was a plus for me.   Madame Bowden is fun with her eccentricities and protecting Martha in her own unique way.   I liked Sylvia, but didn’t we get as much time with her as I would have liked.  Lyndon is such a monstrous human being and I hated him.  He tries to justify his actions making it seem he did the lesser evil of the options.  I have heard of Shakespeare and Company and it being part of Opaline’s story was cool to read about.  Though, this is fiction, and I don’t if the way the story includes the store is historically accurate. I had fun reading the subplot that was the literary mystery, and I don’t mean the lost bookshop itself, which was a cool concept to read it.   I haven’t read a lot of stories set in Ireland and reading about Ireland was magical with the beautiful descriptions to show us the Irish setting.  The bookshop was described so invitingly and loved how she set it up with displays of various objects the original owner had.  It was hard to read the parts where we hear about the abuse Martha experienced and it was also difficult to read the parts in the asylum.  World War II was featured in Opaline’s story, but it doesn’t play as big of a role in this story.  This was a great heartwarming read and I will read it again at some point..

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Grief, Pregnancy, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: War

laurenvoice's review

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious medium-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? No

5.0

The Lost Bookshop was a perfect mix of magic and real life.

The three stories of Opaline, Martha, and Henry intertwined beautifully, and the stories left you feeling hopeful. There was no question left unanswered; the last paragraph of The Lost Bookshop answered that most important question. Oh, I do not know how I will get over this book - it was just so wonderful! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Grief, Sexism, Confinement, Child death, Misogyny, and Violence

Minor: War, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Death, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

lpantoja0295's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective 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? No

4.75

This was an absolutely enchanting read. I sort of saw where the book was going but was still delightfully surprised when I finished. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Death, and Domestic abuse

eleanor029's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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? No

5.0

The book was very easy to read and I just flew through it. It had me hooked from the start. It has dark themes, but is incredibly magical and mysterious. I loved not being able to predict everything. The story really kept it interesting and tense. 
It is absolutely perfect for a cosy winter evening.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Murder, Grief, Emotional abuse, Violence, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Confinement, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Addiction, Suicide, Gun violence, Vomit, Blood, Pregnancy, Child death, and Cancer

kjperry97's review against another edition

adventurous emotional lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Confinement, Gaslighting, War, Murder, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

ehnreads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful reflective 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? No

3.0

started off strong had great expectations. Thought it was gonna be a lot more mystical, but ultimately felt that it dragged on for a little bit too long halfway through , losing all the mystique that I had in the beginning.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, and Mental illness

Minor: Child death and Alcoholism

hannahcstocks's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, War, Death of parent, Deportation, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Dysphoria, and Emotional abuse