Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Eine gefährliche Enthüllung by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

7 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

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

lkristin2018's review against another edition

adventurous dark 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? No

4.0

An intriguing YA mystery featuring the “Naturals.” They start investigating one thing and discover it’s connected with so much more. The relationships between the characters and the thought process they go through to solve crimes are both engaging.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

a main character kills herself so that her child won’t be forced to kill her. There is extreme and vivid violence. There is ritual, cult violence and abuse. It appears that a character has dissociative identity disorder, though it’s not explicitly stated.

mysterymom40's review against another edition

adventurous 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? It's complicated

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Rape, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Gaslighting

drtx_bwt's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Torture, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Violence, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Animal death, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Stalking

lucyford's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.5

As always, I really enjoyed this book. It’s probably my second favorite out of the whole series, and definitely was the hardest to wrap my head around, but I loved it nonetheless. Jennifer Lynn Barnes perfectly wrapped up the series in this book, and I loved seeing everything gradually get resolved, and questions get answered, particularly about Cassie and Lia’s lives (plus Michael was extra unhinged). Overall, I’m so glad I read this series and I couldn’t have asked for a better final book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Gore, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

Minor: Infidelity, Rape, Self harm, and Sexual assault

chavborromeo's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

I know this is the last book. I know that Cassie's Mother's case needed to be close. But I just can't help but be disappointed that Lia's life didn't discuss properly? Like its too short. I want more. And about the serial killer's cult. They been killing many many years ago but they got caught easily??? I mean not that easy but???? Its really short😤

Anyway, Celine and Sloane thought❤ still a good series.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy