Reviews tagging 'Panic attacks/disorders'

Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington

13 reviews

rocky_'s review

dark 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

4.75

I was surprised that I actually really enjoyed this book as much as I did, don't get me wrong I hated almost all the characters but honestly that's kind of the point lol sometimes the inner monologue of the MC could be a tad bit winded but overall I enjoyed this book, I was first listening to the audiobook but I got so involved in the story I had to go pick up the physical copy to really finish it off iykyk. The only reason it's not a 5 star is because it felt like it was missing something don't ask me what cause idk but just a feeling so it's a high 4.75 ⭐ for me 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Gun violence, Violence, Panic attacks/disorders, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Drug abuse and Blood

immdanii'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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Murder, Racism, Violence, Blood, Death, and Gore

Moderate: Vomit, Animal cruelty, and Panic attacks/disorders

teeclecticreads's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Gosh this was good! When I finally got to read the book without distractions I ended up finishing it in one whole day. It was giving me serious Squid Games/Hunger Games meets Bridgerton vibes. I must admit that the pacing was too slow in the beginning and there was a lot of talking in riddles until we got to the action. Adina was also annoying me a lot with all the terrible decisions she was making, but I enjoyed her determination to succeed. The juiciness of the plot and the ending made up for all of that though. I just love that it also highlighted a serious issue that minority groups, especially black people, face where we try to work twice as hard in a world with an uneven playing field just to get a chance at making a better life for ourselves. Definitely a fav read of the year so far.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Infidelity, Violence, Cursing, Gore, Self harm, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Blood, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders

jennanaps's review

challenging dark emotional tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Grief, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Gun violence, Blood, Gaslighting, Gore, Racism, Toxic friendship, Classism, Death, and Panic attacks/disorders

Moderate: Alcoholism, Drug use, Child abuse, Drug abuse, and Addiction

ashylibrarian's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

Readers will be left in a state of shock and horror (in all the best ways) after finishing Their Vicious Games by Joelle Wellington. This is a fast-paced novel that is packed with thrills and chills, and readers won’t even begin to imagine the terrors that will unfold within its pages.

There are so many amazing strengths to consider when talking about this book. Two (2) of the biggest things that stood out to me were the brilliant world-building and meticulous character development. All of the characters in this book are used with purpose. Some of the side characters we do not see much of, but when you do read about them, you know they have been placed with thought and intention. Readers will also be able to see the world of this book unfold as they read as if they were watching a movie. The Remington Estate, the clothes, the expressions on the characters' faces. Everything is painted so vividly and clearly through Wellington’s alluring prose.  

Another aspect of this book that Wellington handles so well is the impact that classism and racism have on the characters and society that run rampant through the upper-class New England community where the prestigious Edgewater Academy resides. There are many barriers that Adina faces throughout the book - barriers built from the materials of systemic racism and classism. This book is set in a fictional New England world, however, readers will likely be able to see connections to socioeconomic and racial injustices that are happening in our world today. This is definitely a heavy read, but it is also a read that is packed with traditional horror characteristics and creates a modern twist on the “final girl” trope.  

It was difficult to pinpoint a weakness in this well-crafted punch of a novel. One thing I would say is that readers might be a bit off-put by the quick-developing attraction from the female characters to the male characters, Pierce and Graham. It’s clear from the beginning of the competition that the money and power the Remington family carries has a lot to do with the motivation for many of the girls’ attraction to Pierce, but the attraction between Adina and Graham seems to develop within a page or two, making more of a quick-combustion attraction that does not have much backing. 

Their Vicious Games is a book that I would highly recommend to readers who enjoy fast-paced thrillers that leave them feeling utterly shocked, especially if they like books that intricately weave together themes of race and class with classical horror tropes. I would likely recommend this book to older teen readers due to the fact that some of the content in this book is fairly intense and there is strong language used throughout. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Violence, Gaslighting, Blood, Death, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Murder, Gore, and Classism

Moderate: Sexual content, Body horror, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Confinement

kemikemi's review

adventurous dark tense medium-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

4.5

holy shit…at no point did i know how this was going to end and i felt like i was holding my breath the entire book. it was tense and graphic and my mind is still reeling. i love saint so much and pentheselia and graham were such fascinating characters as well, actually all of the girls were interesting i loved how the author fleshed out their motivations and actions. adina was a fantastic mc and the ending

reminded me so much of the movie ready or not,

i wasnt prepared for that final turn and it was so sickly satisfying i will be thinking about it for a long time.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Blood, Classism, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Gun violence

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

bookb1itch's review

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

A nice twist on the Hunger Games idea.  Because this was even more removed from my personal world, though, I feel it was slightly less disturbing than HG.  Sure, the classism and racism are nauseating, but I feel more inclined to let younger readers read this than I expected to, perhaps because it feels a little like a cautionary tale: Everything has a price!  My major criticism of this debut is that at times it is simply badly written, and this detracts from the clever narrative.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Racism, Alcohol, Violence, and Death

Moderate: Gun violence

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders

imstephtacular's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Murder, Bullying, Gaslighting, Death, Violence, Racism, Classism, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Sexism, Alcohol, and Blood

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Drug use, Grief, Medical content, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, and Xenophobia

Minor: Sexual content and Infidelity