Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Final Gambit by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

30 reviews

litliz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent, Kidnapping, Blood, Death, Violence, Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Cursing, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Misogyny, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Sexual harassment, Animal cruelty, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual violence

efarm5's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

I think this has been my favorite of the series so far. I live a conclusion, especially a nice one all tied with a bow. At this point we know the characters, their flaws, their truths, their struggles, and that makes it all mean more. We see why things have to shake out the way they do/did and there’s less we don’t already know which I like. Trying to learn about Emily in the first book killed me, so I like already knowing. I love what Avery decided to do with her inheritance. 
This was the first time I tried to figure out what was going to happen instead of just reading, and I couldn’t figure it out. I had some suspicions and thoughts but ultimately I didn’t see all the connections, and I like it that way.

Having everything tie into who Toby’s father is, being kidnapped by his grandfather, Eve being in on it and much more cold hearted than I thought she would be. I did not think Rebecca’s mom would be so involved, or have killed Will Blake. Honestly the Laughlin’s are trouble, they’re too involved in everything. I did doubt Alisa and I’m glad she wasn’t part of it. It was maybe too easy for Avery to beat Blake in a chess match and have his threat just disappear, but I’m ok with that. I like a happy ending and didn’t want anything to happen to Oren or anyone else.

I would love a book about Nan! She’s got some stories to tell man. And learning more about Alice would be great! And seeing Zara and Skye as girls. I’ll keep devouring whatever is given by JLB. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Grief, Murder, Blood, and Gaslighting

prashiie's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny mysterious sad 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

3.5

"The thing about strategy," he says, "is that you always have to be thinking seven moves ahead." 

Not only do we have some Hawthorne secrets to unravel and puzzles to solve, there is another person calling the shots now.

Traps upon traps. And riddles upon riddles. 

I don't trust Eve. She is suspicious. That’s what I thought from the start and I was right. I can’t believe she hurt Grayson like that. First it was because Eve looked so much like Emily but then she also turns out to be tricking them all. Grayson deserves so much more and three books later he still hasn’t found his happiness. I hope he will in the upcoming books.

 

So at the start of this story, we know Toby’s life is in danger.

It turns out Tobias Hawthorne knew from the beginning that Eve would be involved in this situation and tries to warn Avery. What bothered me the most is that even in this situation he made them solve the puzzles to find out who is keeping Toby instead of just telling them this straight away.

The ending of the previous book was good enough to end this series with. I don’t see why we have a third book. It is interesting, I’ll admit that. I didn’t mind reading about my favourite characters again. But it is not on the same level as the first two books. 

“They'd been sculpted by Tobias Hawthorne, formed and forged by the billionaire's hands. They were extraordinary, and for the first time in their lives, they weren't living under the weight of his expectations.”

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny

Moderate: Confinement, Sexual harassment, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Death, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Pregnancy, Racism, and Sexism

ashleynp24's review

adventurous dark 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

4.25

I felt it was a really nice and concise ending. Everything ended up addressed which I liked, I do feel the climax at the end could have been a bit more drawn out, it ended fairly quickly. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, and Violence

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, and Emotional abuse

dxxxni's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, and Kidnapping

greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping

faduma's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Mental illness, Grief, Child abuse, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Misogyny, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Murder, and Classism

bookthief's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

I can’t believe that this trilogy is over. I loved all three books and can’t believe it’s over. 
The first half of this book was slow paced as the plot hadn’t kicked of yet. Nearer the end it definitely got more intense to the point where I could barely put the book down. 
I didn’t like Eve from the beginning and found almost every scene with her in a bit annoying.
Grayson acted like a completely different person in this book, which was a bit strange. 
I felt that the chess matches at the end of the book went way to quickly to end the rivalry with Vincent Blake.
However, I did throughly enjoyed this book.
I loved seeing Avery and Jameson working together on the different riddles and watching there relationship grow in trust and love.
The book flowed smoothly and was detailed, with lots of mystery’s.
Overall, I definitely recommend reading this trilogy, as it was fun, quick and easy to read!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Kidnapping, Cursing, Child death, Emotional abuse, Death, Miscarriage, Murder, Death of parent, and Grief

meredith_williams_'s review

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

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

3.75

This is a good finish to a really fun YA series! The mystery aspect was just as compelling as the first two books and the ending is really satisfying. Barnes’s writing style isn’t my personal favorite (I don’t love the angst of the main character’s inner dialogue or the cheesiness of the jokes between side characters), but I also recognize that I’m not the target age range for her books. I would definitely recommend this for any YA readers who love a good mystery with lots of fun plot twists! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Grief, Torture, Death, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment

Minor: Pregnancy and Death of parent

purplepenning's review

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

Well… Xander continues to be awesome. I continue to hate love triangles. There's a puppy, but he doesn't get nearly enough page time. And I'm not at all satisfied with the situation

Harry was left in

. Really, the only non-Xander, non-puppy part I liked was at the end where

the immoral hoards of wealth were redistributed

. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexism, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Animal cruelty and Sexual harassment