Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Changeling by Victor LaValle

14 reviews

badmom's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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? It's complicated

4.25

A fascinating look at contemporary society through the lens of a Black father in Manhattan. The narration moves from relatively benign storyteling - observations of people’s lives, how they connect to others - into a dark, chaotic exploration of gender roles, societal expectations, & postpartum depression. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Abandonment, Medical trauma, Violence, Blood, Child death, Pregnancy, Gore, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Grief, Gaslighting, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Self harm

bandysbooks's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

The Changeling is a mix of horror and modern day fairytale that creates a really unique story. It follows a family who is rocked by a tragic event, leaving a distraught father in its wake. It explores grief, generational trauma, and the meaning of family.

During the first part of this book, I was a bit confused and honestly a bit bored. It just seemed like a story about a family, but I’m glad I stuck with it. Once the story is set, it picks up quickly and gets really interesting. 

I thought the way that this book explored trauma was very unique as well. We See two people who are really struggling and are not receiving the support that they need. The consequences of that ripple throughout the story.

All in all, if you like horror and fairytales mixed with real life, I think you’ll like this book. There are some difficult topics in it, so please check the trigger warnings.

TW: Murder, Death of a Child, Mental Illness, Blood, Assault, Guns

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Violence, Blood, Death, Abandonment, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Self harm, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Child death, Confinement, and Domestic abuse

griffinthief's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Body horror, Child death, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Pregnancy, Racism, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Torture, and Vomit

disasterwife's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Kidnapping, Mental illness, Racism, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Grief, Gaslighting, and Murder