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shereadytoread's review
1.5
First trigger warnings: this book is FILLED and very frequent sexual assault, rape, and sexual abuse. I would estimate there was 1.5/10+ sexual scenes that were openly consensual. It is the premise of almost the entire story. There is also exploration of conversion therapy, homophobic families/churches and financial abuse.
Those trigger warnings are why this story being marketed as a "thriller" is completely wrong to me. This book very explicitly explores how a man uses financial abuse to entrap a man that has already been sexually abused in the past. Nothing about this is "thrilling". There are no plot twists. It is a straightforward horrific story. There was nothing I didn't expect and spent time trying to figure out, other than how this terrible abuse would be resolved. I'm not sure how any of this is "thrilling". It is compelling, gritty, and it is fast-paced. I read it in one sitting (partially because if I put it down, I doubt I would have picked it up again). It makes callbacks to #MeToo in some ways I won't really explain because they are spoilers, but I think it missed the mark.
Disclaimer: I received a free finished copy from the publisher.
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Confinement
Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, and Alcohol
Minor: Violence
kaykaysbookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Rape, Sexual assault, Homophobia, Sexual violence, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Violence and Blood
mothreadsbookssometimes's review
3.0
Graphic: Sexual assault, Violence, Domestic abuse, Suicide attempt, Eating disorder, Sexual violence, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, and Homophobia
bells_shelves's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Blood, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Torture, Trafficking, Murder, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Violence, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Homophobia
skreytak's review
Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse
whatskatiereading's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Suicidal thoughts
typewriterworries's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I was intrigued by the concept of a suspenseful thriller that centered around the lifestyle of a young man who's trying his best to live the luxurious, coquettish lifestyle he pictured himself having. In theory, it had so much promise.
At the start, the book had my attention. I was interested in learning more about the relationship between Jonah and the famed playwright, Richard. There's something about Richard that doesn't seem quite right and it doesn't take long for both Jonah and the reader to realize this. We're soon taken through a tale of trauma, deception and tragedy.
While the book is gripping and I found myself breezing through it; the amount of just overtly dark themes and dark scenes became too much. At some point I found myself outright skipping through some of the darker passages because it wasn't adding anything to the story. Every time the book provided some type of hopeful progression, it was undercut by something dark and sinister.
I think the author has a knack for writing a character you want to learn more about and I hope that he does that with future work but has much less misery.
Graphic: Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Violence, and Rape
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse
caterpillarkat's review
- 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
3.75
Graphic: Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Trafficking, Homophobia, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Gaslighting
Minor: Drug use and Incest
jessicamarie's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Graphic: Rape, Trafficking, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Confinement
bluehairedlibrarian's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
With that said, this book is dark and traumatic, but the writing quality kept me reading despite the horrors on the page. Jonah is a compelling narrator and I sympathized with him while also thinking he was a complete idiot at times. The situations he got himself into could be excused by his naivete and Midwestern religious upbringing, but at the same time, he was incredibly naïve. He's also a very unreliable narrator, but I liked the framework that is revealed later on in the book. I thought it a bit strange for it suddenly to revolve around his non-relationship with a side character, and the ending felt strange and little forced.
I can't say I enjoyed this book, but I don't regret finishing it either. It's difficult and does not fall under the Gothic Horror trope at all. It's a difficult read, but a mostly well-written one.
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Homophobia, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, and Torture