Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas

18 reviews

thefatpaperback's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense 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

5.0

This book is a fever dream. I still think back on it and wonder if this was an actual book I read. It’s bizarre, but the writing is incredible. Big moments and shocking events are delivered like ripping off a band-aid: blunt and disorienting. The characters are great too. A friend and I were chatting about the book and he said he liked how it’s diverse without trying to be diverse and I agree. I 10000% recommend. I read this at the end of October and it was haunting for sure (but not scary…I don’t do horror novels!)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Gaslighting, Grief, Medical content, and Physical abuse

Minor: Animal cruelty

characters in this book attend a private collegiate college that performs, sometimes unbeknownst to students, experiments on their bodies and minds. I’m very sensitive to gore and horror—that’s not in this book. But it is a spooky, creepy read, so I wanted to be thorough in my content warnings.

tina94's review against another edition

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, and Medical content

Moderate: Animal cruelty

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

penofpossibilities's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, and Confinement

Moderate: Animal death, Sexual content, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Kidnapping, Death, and Sexual violence

aseel_reads's review against another edition

challenging dark tense slow-paced

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

2.0

I don't really understand this book... it reminds of this dark academia/fantasy/translated East European book I read, the plasma (if that's the right spelling) was just werid as. the pacing was a bit off and I felt like the short snippets of everything made it really hard to understand the characters. I was interested in the mental state of the characters likes ines or baby but mm, done pretty poorly. the ending was just like 'ah okay then'. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, and Suicide

Moderate: Sexual content and Vomit

mpmajor's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol and Forced institutionalization

Moderate: Gaslighting and Suicide

kylieqrada's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

I'm in the minority that loved this book and it makes me so happy!!!!! Honestly it reminded me alot of The Magicians by Lev Grossman, but a little less whimsical, and replace the magic with science. But that dark, kinda ethereal, am I high or what is going on right now kind of vibe was definitely the same in both books. And the ending, while very abrupt, fit the overall story arc to a t. And the mental illness rep was everything, and of a flavor I haven't seen before. Very gritty and real. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Mental illness, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, and Suicidal thoughts

rhaase0509's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

I think this book was well written, but just wasn't my preference. The narrator seems to struggle with mental illness, creating a sense of detachment from the world around her. I did not find the story particularly engaging and I predicted each of the twists.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Mental illness, and Suicide

reedsky's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Gaslighting, Grief, Medical content, and Sexual content

Moderate: Death, Animal cruelty, Drug use, Suicide, and Murder

Minor: Vomit