Reviews tagging 'Forced institutionalization'

The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse

48 reviews

singalana's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-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

3.0

Odotin koko ajan kuunnellessani milloin kirjan toiminta lähtee käyntiin, eikä se oikein ikinä lähtenyt. Valitettavasti hienosta miljööstä ja potentiaalista huolimatta teos oli pettymys.

Parantola on thriller, mutta kallistuu minusta ehkä hieman enemmän mysteerin puolelle. Mitään henkeäsalpaavaa jännitystä ei ole luvassa. Teos on Pearse ensimmäinen, ja esikoisteokseksi se on kuitenkin varsin kelvollinen. 

Rikostutkija Elin saapuu Sveitsin Alpeille juhlimaan veljensä Isaacin kihlajaisia. Juhlapaikkana toimii luksushotelliksi muutettu entinen tuberkuloosiparantola. Pian Isaacin morsian katoaa ja Alpeilta löydetään ruumis. Sään huonontuessa hotellivieraat joutuvat eristyksiin muusta maailmasta ja tappaja alkaa toteuttaa kostoaan. 

Päähenkilö Elin on menneisyyden piinaama. Hän on työstään virkavapaalla erään häntä järkyttäneen tapauksen jälkeen. Lisäksi Eliniä piinaavat tapahtumat vuosien takaa ja hän haluaa saada veljeltään Isaacilta vastauksia. Elin on haavoittuvainen hahmo, mutta yrittää kuitenkin pyristellä irti menneisyytensä kahleista. Muut hahmot nähdään Elinin perspektiivin kautta. 

Aluksi kirjailijan rauhallinen tyyli ja lukijan ääni toimi hyvin tunnelman luomiseksi. Verkkainen tyyli kuitenkin jatkuu läpi teoksen, jolloin jännityksen ytimeen ei oikein kunnolla päästä. Loppujen lopuksi kirjasta jäi sellainen vaikutelma, että asioita tehtiin vain estetiikan takia, jännittävien visuaalisten elementtien hakemiseksi siinä tapauksessa jos kirjasta tehtäisiin filmatisointi. 

Spoilereita!

En oikein missään vaikeessa päässyt sinuiksi Elinin toimintatapojen kanssa. Hän tekee henkilöistö ja tapahtumista usein vääriä tulkintoja, jotka osoittautuvat kohtalokkaiksi. Samat kuviot toistuvat useaan otteeseen. Lisäksi Elin käyttäytyy varsin omavaltaisesti tutkiessaan tapausta ja on vaikea kuvitella että hän selviäisi siitä noin vain ilman perusteellisia kuulusteluja.

Loppuratkaisu oli pettymys. Motiivin yhteys tuberkuloosiparantolan tapahtumiin oli heikko. Lisäksi oli epäuskottavaa miten monta ihmistä tapaukseen oli sotkeutunut.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Blood, Gore, Death, Kidnapping, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, and Violence

Minor: Abortion, Alcohol, Death of parent, Dementia, and Rape

keppers_jax's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

EXCELLENT IN AUDIO! Elizabeth Knowelden is an extremely talented narrator who seems to master many accents (flavors of British, French, German, American) and, at least to my American ear, also speaks flawless French and some German. 

As for the book, I struggled with how to rate this one. I enjoyed the story, but so much of it I was angry with the recklessness of the MC. In the end, I'm going with 4 stars because I enjoyed the story, there were several heart-pounding moments where I may have been holding my breath and though I figured out who the villain was, I didn't figure everything out. Plus, the Epilogue left me wanting more! Can't wait to read the next in this series. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Sexism, and Gore

Minor: Abortion, Infertility, and Rape

bodybeingsoulstl's review

dark mysterious 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

3.75

You might enjoy this book if you...
... have traveled to / want to visit the Swiss Alps
... love a rogue-detective story
... would defend your sibling, no matter what

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Murder, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Body horror, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Forced institutionalization

Minor: Rape

amandalachelle's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Confinement, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Stalking, Medical content, Death, Gore, Grief, Sexual assault, Violence, Blood, Child death, Chronic illness, Body horror, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Rape, and Panic attacks/disorders

heidibrunney's review

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-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

4.5

I was thoroughly entertained by this book. It was everything I love about horror movie tropes in a murder-thriller book. The chapters are short, and the plot twists are interesting, which kept me turning the pages. I am also thrilled about the ending, as it's exactly what I was hoping to see.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Chronic illness, Blood, Forced institutionalization, and Rape

kyrstin_p1989's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Really interesting murder mystery. I didn’t know the bad guy until it was revealed and honestly hadn’t even considered the culprit for that role. I couldn’t put this one down — stayed up til the wee hours reading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Infidelity, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Cancer, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Infertility, Medical content, Torture, Abortion, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Pandemic/Epidemic, Rape, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

ambersbakesandbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Rape

Minor: Forced institutionalization and Confinement

jjames_mal's review

dark 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? No

3.0

This thriller follows our protagonist Elin Warner, a detective on forced leave from her job as she travels to a hotel (previous sanatorium) to meet her estranged brother and his fiancée. But then they get snowed in, and murders happen.

I just couldn’t get behind this book. Everything the main character does so is obviously a bad idea and then she is shocked when bad things happen. For how dark the motivation was, the villain’s whole way of doing things was nonsensical. Honestly I know this is the start of a detective series, but I kind of wish the aspects of police procedural were not in this book. 

If you like your detective books to tackle serious issues but have cheesy detective tropes, you might like this one, but I won’t be continuing with this series.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, Death, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, and Gore

Moderate: Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Infertility, Abortion, and Infidelity

stephtoriz's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

I was so confused by the ending or the epilogue </ spoiler > I thought they saw that Laure was the one who pushed her into the plunge pool which still doesn’t make sense if she was in hiding .. so this man that’s stalking her ? He did it ? Idk 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Vomit, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Death, Blood, and Body horror

Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence, Rape, Forced institutionalization, and Cancer

korolevakotykiv's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Rape, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Medical content