Reviews tagging 'Gore'

The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

12 reviews

ajdenson's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore, Child death, and Death

Minor: Stalking and Sexual violence

lucyford's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

A really great mystery book! It met all my expectations and the story came together very satisfyingly at the end. The complex changes in timelines and characters really let you get the most of the story, and led to a very unexpected but believable ending. The writing style is nice as well, and my only criticism is that it wasn’t super captivating in the first hundred pages or so, but the rest of the book made it all worth it!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Murder, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Child death, and Stalking

Moderate: Blood, Grief, Kidnapping, Body shaming, Confinement, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Pregnancy

Minor: Vomit, Abortion, Confinement, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, and Mental illness

samcsmith's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Grief, Violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Gaslighting, and Gore

Moderate: Body shaming, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Death, Fatphobia, Murder, Vomit, Cursing, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Mental illness

Minor: Drug use, Excrement, Child death, and Confinement

chamaeleontis's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Child death, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Addiction, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Abortion, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexual content, Stalking, Alcohol, Drug use, Infertility, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Vomit, Child abuse, Confinement, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Gore, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

mousey's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

A tense and sad read with a good twist.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Deadnaming, Gaslighting, Infertility, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Stalking, Miscarriage, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Addiction, Blood, Gore, Grief, Mental illness, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

sophiemartin's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Blood, Cursing, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Infertility, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

devinaaaa's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Gore, Fatphobia, Addiction, Toxic relationship, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Alcohol, Violence, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Stalking, Death, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Child death, Alcoholism, Blood, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Vomit and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Cursing

abaraonab's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Sexual content

Moderate: Gore

sheadunlop's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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? Yes

4.0

I really enjoyed reading a thriller/mystery written by a modern woman. The everyday elements and deepest fears of being a woman brought me closer to the lives of these characters, even if all of them couldn't really be considered "likeable." The book kept me guessing the whole way through and left me satisfied with the ending.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Stalking, Death, Pregnancy, Vomit, Child abuse, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Abandonment, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Emotional abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Addiction, Infertility, and Misogyny

soundlysmitten's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The Girl on the Train is a suspenseful mystery revolving around a questionable disappearance. The backstory and subsequent fallout is relayed in simple, sometimes eerily haunting prose from the perspective of three different women. Some people have said they guessed the culprit early on, but the foreshadowing didn’t register for me till right before the identity was made known. And personally, I found the way the author disclosed relevant details to be clever. Especially in how she’d leave certain parts a bit vague, only to follow up with precise information that makes sense in retrospect, but initially serves as misdirection. 

 

As for character development, it’s definitely complex, as there isn’t just one true “bad guy.” I believe the author did a good job at telling the emotional side of the story, really delving into the minds of these women who are struggling with trauma and distorted perceptions of reality. Each player unravels pretty thoroughly over the course of the book. But I appreciated the fact that all three women end up making a decision—if brutal or to no avail—to free themselves of whatever dangerous circumstances/mindsets they’ve found themselves tangled up in by unconsciously subscribing to the world’s idea of what it means to have value as a woman. Although, I will say it was hard to feel anything for one specific character because women not being there for women is something that has always bothered me and she embodies that specific toxicity in the most extreme way.

 

The author has mentioned the novel’s themes involve “women’s place in society, the impact of trauma on our bodies and minds, the slipperiness of memory, and the stories we tell about ourselves and each other.” I really couldn’t put it any better. The narrative definitely covers some heavy sh*t, though most instances of graphic trauma occur/are recalled in the last quarter of the book, as the question changes from what happened to 'whodunnit'. Still, please check the content warnings before giving this a read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Murder, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Blood, Body shaming, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Fatphobia, Gore, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

Minor: Abortion, Car accident, Drug abuse, Drug use, Pregnancy, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts