Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington

32 reviews

on_my_bookshelf's review

challenging 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Bullying, Gun violence, Classism, Gore, Grief, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Death of parent, Drug use, Gaslighting, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Racism, Toxic friendship, Violence, Blood, Confinement, Hate crime, and Death

sahramahtab's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

Joelle Wellington's 'Their Vicious Games' is a gripping page-turner that kept me hooked from start to finish. The suspenseful plot, coupled with the uncertainty surrounding the main character's fate, made it an intense read. The narrative's exploration of racism, misogyny, and classism adds depth to the story, creating a brutally beautiful portrayal of societal issues. Despite the challenges, the satisfying sliver of justice in the end provides a poignant closure.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, Racism, Classism, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, and Murder

Moderate: Drug abuse, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Confinement, and Toxic relationship

lindsayerin's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Murder, Bullying, Violence, Classism, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racism, Emotional abuse, and Sexism

rachelfayreads's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Emotional abuse, Xenophobia, Death, Gore, and Body horror

queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-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? No

3.5

3.5 ⭐ CW: violence, blood, murder, gun violence, abuse, racism, classism 

Their Vicious Games is a YA thriller that is like Squid Games meets The Bachelor with a dark academia feel. This is not the typical genre I read, but I needed a short break from fantasy, and this made for an enjoyable diversion. The lower rating is only because the middle was a bit slow for me. 

We follow Adina Walker, one of the only Black and scholarship students at prestigious (and white) Edgewater Academy in upper crust New England. Very Waspy. We start with learning that Adina is graduating, but all the colleges she applied to revoked her admission, including her dream school Yale, due to her losing control one time. She is determined to get back her acceptance to Yale and get back what's hers, so she convinces rich popular guy Pierce Remington IV to get her into his family's rumored game called The Finish. Little does she know what she is getting into. 

The Finish is a game for the brightest young women selected by the influential Remington family. The winner of the games gains access to wealth and opportunity through the Remingtons, but this year is different, because the Remington heir (Pierce) is 18 and looking for a wife. Yes, it's just as ick as it sounds. We see a lot of mind games and intrigue from all of the girls, themes on the problems with wealth and privilege, themes on blatant misogyny with the idea that women should have to prove themselves worthy of such a husband 🤮. 

We also see the fall out of the weight of expectation thrust upon young women in high society, and the price of ambition. This was a brutal book, but fascinating. The dynamics between all the characters were really interesting and varied. Adina and her roommate Saint were the only girls of color in The Finish, and I love that they stuck together through the whole thing instead of being potted against each other. I wish the pacing had been a bit stronger in the middle, and I think we should have seen Pierce's monstrous side leak out a bit earlier, but I do appreciate that the author didn't absolve the older brother, Graham, who let his privilege blind him. 

I think this would make for a fantastic series that would keep you in your toes! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Blood, Violence, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Classism

Moderate: Racism

bella_cavicchi's review

dark 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

This was delightfully twisty, thrilling in both its shock and its dark satire.

And I feel I should note somewhere that I couldn't help but visualise Leighton as Gwyneth Paltrow and I now can't shake that casting (for the inevitable film adaptation) from my head!!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Death, Classism, Bullying, and Blood

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexism, Racism, Medical content, Grief, and Gaslighting

Minor: Infidelity and Vomit

caseythereader's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child death, Gore, Child abuse, Racism, Violence, Blood, Classism, Grief, Murder, Vomit, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Gun violence

takarakei's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

Ace of Spades/The Hunger Games meets The Bachelor... in hell.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Racism, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Gaslighting, Classism, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Vomit, Toxic relationship, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Alcohol

honestlyyours77's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

This was a great read! It took a bit to get into the story as the beginning was a bit unpolished and repetitive. However, about 1/8th into the book it picked up a bit and swelled to where you didn’t want to put it down.

I love the twists as the story played out and the strength of the protagonist. Giving anything more would give spoilers which I do not care to do. 

While this is YA fiction it is definitely fit for any reader who enjoys suspense.


*a note on diversity. While the book isn’t filled with diverse characters with the exception of the protagonist and a few others, it is intentional. It is a glimpse of the real world impacts on people of color. So while the story is thankfully fictional, the real world
Message and impact is not.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Racism, Sexism, Racial slurs, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Violence, Classism, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny

sarahmcg's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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

4.5

Their Vicious Games

4.5 ⭐️

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the free copy for review

This book is described as “Ace of Spades meets Squid Games with a sprinkling of the Bachelor…” I haven’t watched Squid Games, but I agree with the rest, and also add that this book gave me Hunger Games vibes.

The FMC, Adina Walker, is a black teen girl who attended the prestigious Edgewater Academy on scholarship. She gained acceptance to Yale, only to have her offer rescinded over one moment of lost control. She is hoping to regain her acceptance to Yale and the path forward in life she feels she has lost by participating in the Finish - a contest put on by Edgewater’s founding family, the Remingtons. She just needs to make it through the high-stakes competition, and when she wins, she will have the favor of the Remington family and their power and wealth will open doors for her that have been otherwise closed. 

However, upon arriving at the Remington estate, Adina realizes she has been in the dark about how deadly the Finish is, and what the expectations truly are. 

This book had me on the edge of my seat. It moves quickly, is propulsive, and violent. It had me gasping, and gave me goosebumps. The underlying commentary on racism, classism, the patriarchy, and performative allyship was so smartly crafted. This is why people should not underestimate YA novels! This is a horror novel, and satirical at that.

One of my favorite parts of this novel was the friendship between Adina and her roommate, Saint. Also, the ending had me like 🤯

I highly recommend this to those who love YA horror and satire/social commentary, final girls, and fast-moving, high-stakes competitions.

CW/TW: violence including murder, gun violence, blood, injury detail; sexism, classism, racism, misogyny (overt & micro aggressions), and emotional abuse. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Classism, Misogyny, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, and Racism

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Bullying, and Gaslighting

Minor: Alcohol and Vomit