Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Changeling by Victor LaValle

14 reviews

indigo_fox's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

4.25

This book was difficult to put down! Something always caught my interest and made me want to move on to the next chapter. 

I didn't really care for the characters. Apollo and Emma both got on my nerves and I didn't find either of them to be very likeable. Patrice was cool though. He's a solid bro. The parts with him were easily some of my favorite moments. 

I found this book to be very creepy. There were moments were I actually cringed away from the book because I was so freaked out. I still have a bunch of questions, and there are moments where I am not entirely sure what happened. 

That being said, I enjoyed the book! It wasn't what I was expecting but I wasn't disappointed. I hear this author has other books and I plan on checking them out!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Murder, and Violence

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Racism

Minor: Gaslighting and Emotional abuse

cassandrareadsbooks's review

adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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? It's complicated

5.0

My words could never describe the enchanting narrative that Victor LaValle has created with The Changeling. 

This story is so many things: the lengths a mother and father would go to protect their child, the secrets we keep to protect the ones we love (and ourselves), generational curses/trauma, and a critique of internet social norms/voyeurism. 

LaValle weaves Norse mythology into modern day NYC. So much so, that I’d like to drive up to Forest Hills to see what the trees are hiding. I’d like to take a boat out to the ocean just to see if I can stand where Apollo stood. 

There is a nod to Shirley Jackson’s “We Have Always Lived in The Castle,” so small that you might not even catch it. 

I’m looking forward to watching the TV show and to reading more books written by LaValle.

P.S. This is my favorite book now.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Gaslighting, Death, and Grief

Moderate: Abandonment and Fire/Fire injury

jennshelfishlife's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• 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? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Murder, and Child death

Moderate: Child abuse, Gaslighting, Blood, and Domestic abuse

jess4276's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

This book was incredibly slow and there was so much that wasn't resolved or explained. I couldn't wait for it to end. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Violence

Moderate: Grief

Minor: Domestic abuse, Racism, Cursing, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

jialianyang's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

A beautiful tale that quickly snowballs into a haunting, mysterious, sad, and horrifying thriller. Survivors birthing and parenting survivors, a book man seeks vengeance, a mother fights to find her real child, all of these are just snapshots of the twists and turn in this gripping book. It's won many awards for good reason.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Fire/Fire injury, Racism, Gore, Blood, Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Kidnapping, Death, Grief, Gaslighting, Murder, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Mental illness

Moderate: Suicide, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Self harm, Addiction, Suicidal thoughts, and Body horror

Minor: Police brutality

jsteighn's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Murder, Grief, Violence, Mental illness, and Stalking

Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Blood

itzblancas's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gaslighting, Child death, Suicide attempt, and Racism

minaopal's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pregnancy, Child death, Murder, Mental illness, Blood, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Grief, and Alcohol

sarah984's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-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? It's complicated

5.0

I really liked this book. The writing is really charming (which feels weird to say with this type of content) and the fairy tale atmosphere worked really well for the most part. New York and its history were well utilized. There is one plot point in the middle of the book that I thought was kind of silly

(the part at Rikers - considering later discussions that was all absurdly easy and felt kind of pointless)

but overall fantastic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Child death, and Pregnancy

Moderate: Kidnapping, Racism, Violence, Child abuse, Stalking, Abandonment, Death, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Self harm, Alcohol, Confinement, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Suicide attempt, Vomit, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Colonisation, Gun violence, Misogyny, and Police brutality

cosmicreader90's review

adventurous mysterious slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Murder, Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Death, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Kidnapping, and Child death