Reviews tagging 'Death'

Странная Салли Даймонд by Liz Nugent

150 reviews

gigibaiao's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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A deeply disturbing but unfortunately realistic book. Very interesting to read, but some moments were so horrific that they made me nauseous. Beware of triggers, as this book has many. I loved reading this book, but at the same time it made me sick. I felt anxious and sad about living in a reality where such sad things happen, and it made me cry. This book made me realise that thrillers on these subjects are not for me, even though they have a high literary quality. The author really took care to illustrate the places and people of certain nationalities accurately, and that impressed me positively.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Pandemic/Epidemic

mysteriesandhistories's review against another edition

3.25

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This was recommended to me in Waterstones and I kind of wish it hadn’t been. Well written and plotted, undoubtedly. But relentlessly disturbing and without a chink of redeeming light. It’s upset me quite a lot actually. Which is a sign of the author’s talent, but not an experience I’d care to repeat. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Grief, Car accident, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Homophobia, Racial slurs, Lesbophobia

ppppaula's review against another edition

5.0

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Fast paced, dark thriller. Think Room + Eleanor Oliphant. I couldn’t put it down despite the dark subject. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Car accident

weekatsie's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Violence, Death of parent, Pregnancy

Minor: Racism, Rape, Violence, Suicide attempt, Pandemic/Epidemic

cheryl_gager's review against another edition

4.25

challenging dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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This book took me by surprise in more than one way. The synopsis does not hint at how dark the themes of this book are and when it is revealed at the start of part 2 (just under 100 pages in) it is shocking. I think the themes are tackled in a way that is easily digestible as there is a level of detachment from a lot of the most traumatic, disturbing moments (which were off page) didn't happen to the characters whose POVs we get. I loved Sally as a character, the growth she had and the inner turmoil she faced made her POV heartbreaking and heart warming all at once. I got frustrated with the side characters around her because they expected her to be understanding to things and others but it was not always reciprocated and she was never truly given the benefit of the doubt and treated like her choices mattered, especially if she made them on her own. The other POV was more heartbreaking. This is a story of how a negative cycle of behaviour can start (I am using negative but it is not even close to how dark somethings got) and how the cycle continues but I feel like there is hope at the end of the potential for these generational cycles to be broken.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Death of parent

Minor: Car accident, Pregnancy, Lesbophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic

This has a lot darker themes then the synopsis would suggest. You do read about a child being kidnapped and held in a looked room. You also can work out what is going on in the room where the 2 different women were held (one of which you meet after they have been there for 7 years already), and it does eventually being said / confirmed later in the book. However, you do not actually see what happens to these poor girls/women in this situation and you are reading about it from someone who never witnessed the worst of it. There is one racist character but they are confronted and challenged straight away and they face consequences which are so fitting. The book ends at the start of the 2020 pandemic so there is brief mention of it existing but no real detail about what it is or the effects. Mental health and trauma is also discussed and you do read transcripts from the first victim / person kidnapped, whilst in a psychiatric ward in the lead up before she commits suicide.

the_readingraven's review against another edition

4.5

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

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This is a 4.5 stars to me!

Wow, this book is very dark and full of trauma. It went a totally different way than I expected it to. I could not stop listening though, the themes of this book have a way of pulling you in. Plus, so much more is revealed than anticipated. I did take a little off the rating due to the ending. Maybe I was expecting something more elaborate or off-the-wall to happen. It just ended after so much "work" was done that it felt disappointing. It didn't have to be a happy ending, it just felt flat. Before reading this, please look at the triggers! 

tw: sexual assault, rape, child abuse, physical abuse, kidnapping, death, racism

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Physical abuse

Moderate: Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Kidnapping

Minor: Racism

hugsy85's review against another edition

4.0

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Gaslighting

nialiversuch's review against another edition

3.75

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Xenophobia, Vomit, Pregnancy

mariannelwnicholson's review against another edition

1.0

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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I would never tell someone to read this book. It's dark and sad and horrible. You think it's a weird, slightly funny story about a sad girl and then from nowhere it's about her horrific background and then it gets hopeful and you think it'll all be okay and then it ends by basically telling you that there is no hope and there is no way to escape the cycle of abuse. AVOID LIKE THE PLAGUE. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Car accident, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail

aimesericks's review against another edition

5.0

dark

Loveable characters: Complicated

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What the FUCK. Best read of the year so far.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Sexism, Violence, Kidnapping, Pregnancy

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Medical content, Car accident, Death of parent, Abandonment, Alcohol

Minor: Drug use, Suicide