Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Eine gefährliche Enthüllung by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

37 reviews

ladybug12793's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.75

might not be appropriate for YA.

This book has some pretty intense and traumatic scenes that might be too much for the young adult genre. Adult themes with young adult characters. That being said, Jennifer Barnes has a way of writing that makes you not able to see the twists coming. Highly recommend but for more mature audiences. Read this. <spoiler> i’m still team Michael 

This was the best book by far. The next best was book 3, then book 1, and then book 2. 

TW: torture, (g)rape (off the page), kidnapping, cult, child abuse, serial murder, etc. 

0 🌶️ 

* please disregard for medical errors due to voice texting. Thanks.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Torture, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Mental illness and Self harm

charelila's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Animal cruelty and Animal death

ellgbtqs's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, and Death of parent

Moderate: Self harm and Murder

ameydireads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? Yes

4.0

“Home isn't a place. It's not having a bed to come home to, or a yard, or a Christmas tree at the holidays. Home is the people who love you.”

This is the book where everything comes together. The Masters have been watching and they know how to play with the Naturals. 

The human psyche, playing a major role in this book, is what I found most interesting. When it comes to survival, the human brain finds a way to deal with it. It can suppress memories that are too painful. This becomes clear when Cassie struggles to remember her life in Gaither. In some cases when things become unbearable the brain deals with it by creating new personalities—ones that are more adept in handling traumas.

This is exactly what happens to Lorelai. In order to survive as the Pythia, her brain reawakens a personality that helped her earlier in life, during the time she lived with her abusive father. Lorelai loves her children and would do anything to save them—but the goal of this other personality is to survive no matter what, even if it means harming Lorelai’s children. Cassie is confronted by Lorelai’s other personality in a life-or-death situation

and this is where the climax reaches its peak in terms of emotions. 

I love Cassie, Dean, Michael, Lia, and Sloane! Even Nightshade is an interesting character, partially owing to his backstory in becoming a serial killer. The grooming he undergoes is dreadful. Thatcher Townsend, on the other hand, is a character that creeps me out. He cares too little for people and too much for his name and legacy. Every time he spoke, I couldn’t help but roll my eyes.

I do have some questions about the plot.

How does Malcolm not know how to stab himself without giving rise to suspicion when he is supposed to be the greatest of them all?! As Nine, it is almost unfathomable that he does not think this through. And how is Director Sterling also involved in this cult!! It feels a little out of place and underexplained. The same goes for TA Geoff who makes a sudden appearance. Totally out of place. What was most shocking is that Lorelai dies mere seconds before Agent Briggs arrives. If only they tried to stretch time.

Overall, despite some minor flaws, this book is engaging and an amazing ending to this series. I do hope Laurel gets past the indoctrination. I feel uneasy every time she says “The blood belongs to the Pythia. The blood belongs to Nine.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Child death, and Infidelity

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Rape, Self harm, and Pregnancy

bookcheshirecat's review against another edition

funny mysterious tense medium-paced

4.5

“All of us had a way of regaining the control that life had taken away from us. For Sloane, it was numbers. For Lia, it was keeping her true self buried beneath layers of lies. Michael intentionally provoked anger instead of waiting for someone else’s fuse to blow. Dean did everything he could to keep his emotions in check. And I use knowing things about people as an excause to keep them from knowing me.” 

➽ Bad Blood was a great finale to the Naturals series! These books are always so much fun and I don't think I've found something comparable yet. In the final book, Cassie and her friends are trying to root out the cult of serial killers that is holding her mother captive. It's their biggest case yet, as they're dealing with a bunch of dangerous killers that have been operating for decades and haven't been caught until now!

➽ I couldn't put this book down, as it was suspenseful from start to finish. Cassie is desperate for any clue about the cult, especially since she can barely remember the time leading up to her mother's disappearance. When they go back to the last town they lived in, Cassie will have to face her past and search for any hint that could lead her to her mother. It's a tough, emotional time for her since her mother might not be the same person she was. Being held captive and brutally tortured for years will wear on a person, but Cassie needs to free her regardless of who she has turned into. I thought them taking down the serial killer cult made for a good finale, as it's their most dangerous mission yet!

➽ I still love the Naturals' interactions so much. This time we glimpsed a bit more of Michael, as his childhood best friend Celine is missing and his abusive father is getting involved in the investigation. We also finally learn more about Lia, as she's got a frought history with cults and their case is bringing up old memories she usually keeps buried. You can tell how much everyone has grown and now Michael, Cassie, Lia, Sloane and Dean are their own little found family!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Abandonment

Minor: Domestic abuse, Rape, and Self harm

gabsoulutely's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This put me through the ringer. My head hurts and I grew rather fond of these naturals. It was so stressful reading this book and I hope that I can sleep tonight. I really didn't see most of these plot twists coming, but truly what is a Jeniffer Lynn Barnes novel if not a shitshow LOL

Celene star of this novel honestly. Not the random family members being added to the family trees even in this series. Like I truly feel if you've read one Barnes series, you've read most of what she can offer. Still so crazy how dark this book was. I feel like the fact that it's so realistic too... that's what's even more haunting.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual assault, and Suicide

Minor: Rape

the_bookish_scorpio's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

turtleswift01's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

5.0

Literally so insanely insane and so good and I am so upset it’s over.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Mental illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Self harm, Trafficking, Kidnapping, and Stalking

emilywemily6's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

This was a decent conclusion to The Naturals series. The plot felt a bit all over the place and it seemed like we picked up Celine just to move the plot along later in the story- though it was cool to see her character added! It just felt like there was no forethought by the author. I also wish there was more info about the cult, especially with the connection to the town. And the conclusion at the end of the book felt a bit rushed. I thought that the mystery of what happened in the town when Cassie was 6 was interesting. The big reveals/twists were messed up though, but in the best way!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Abandonment

Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, Sexual content, and Medical content

faraway_'s review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

3.25

If there are plot holes idgaf

ps. I refuse to read the next one. No need for that novella. Let's keep the good feeling.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Rape