Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

The Younger Wife by Sally Hepworth

133 reviews

anneclareivy's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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

3.5


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stephaniealysse's review

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dark tense fast-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

4.0


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hsteel's review

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dark mysterious tense slow-paced
  • 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? Yes

2.0


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stungbythewood's review against another edition

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

3.5

I honestly don’t know how I feel about this book. It was an entertaining read, but that’s the only opinion I walk away with after finishing it.

I have mixed feelings about the whole thing and am left feeling unsatisfied.

I had some difficulty trying to describe what problems I had exactly with the characters when another reviewer had done so perfectly and it’s that these characters are characterized by their vices and that’s it…

I’ve found that this in particular made it difficult for me to like two out of the three very prominent female cast in this book. I felt like those struggles is all that those characters really were, besides being loving family members to Stephen. They don’t really feel like full fleshed out people, just tropes and stereotypes.

A lot of it just feels unrealistic? I’m aware that the brain can repress memories that are traumatic in an attempt to protect itself, but it seems like the recollections both Rachel and Tully have in regards to their father’s abuse are just for plot convenience and not due to an actual recalling of a traumatizing event in their lives.

I also think Heather making up that fake story in an attempt to confront Rachel about her rape was wildly inappropriate,
and quite frankly, none of Heather’s damn business no matter how well seeming she tried to come off.

I also don’t appreciate how Rachel’s assault gets kind of glosses over toward the end of the book. Where Tully has resources available and it’s mentioned that her and her son are seeing specialists to help with their issues, Rachel gets with Darcy and suddenly everything is bright and shiny again.

I don’t want to say that it isn’t possible but :/ it feels very unrealistic for Rachel to have ignored this trauma for over fifteen years then suddenly she’s dating Darcy and things are okay.

What was the point of Fiona Arthur? Her character felt very under utilized as well.


Some positives, this book kept me engrossed, I finished it in two days which is a quick read for me, and I liked how most of the chapters were short. I find that longer chapters tend to feel more laborious to read.

At the end of it all, I have more questions than answers and am left with more confusion than clarity. I’ve heard some positive things about her other books in other reviews so I’m willing to give those a shot.

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edhyndman's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced
  • 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


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caitlinosullivan4's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book was so clever in making me truly feel gaslit along with Heather. Even now, I’m doubting whether Stephen was really an abuser, while being 99% sure he was! 

What I really want to know is, why didn’t Heather have marks on her neck when he choked her!? Does he know some special doctor way to do it that doesn’t bruise? Surely not. This is the part that is lingering and making me question the whole thing.

But then again… surely Sally wouldn’t write a whole novel about how the “good bloke” is wrongly accused and really is a good bloke all along?

I’m so intrigued to hear others thoughts.

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heatherv's review against another edition

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

3.0


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destiny929's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0


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caity4412's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious 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

4.75


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tashy49's review against another edition

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

4.0


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