Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

You by Caroline Kepnes

42 reviews

anxiousbookclub's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious tense fast-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Drug use, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Child abuse

ceilidhwilliams's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-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

3.75

I think that every one of you who thinks that while Joe does horrible things you find the way he thinks relatable, need to go to therapy, seriously how the hell is he relatable?? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Car accident, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Stalking, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

tomrae1's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Gaslighting, Misogyny, and Drug use

Minor: Suicide and Vomit

mrsfionnacharming's review against another edition

challenging dark medium-paced

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

4.25

I did not think I was going to like this book as much as I did. Coming from watching the TV show over the past few years and thoroughly enjoying it in a guilty pleasure sort of way, I thought I’d try out the book and oh my god!

It’s hard to talk about this book without comparing it to the show. This book doesn’t humanise Joe- who is for all intensive purposes a murderous stalker. When watching the show, the scenes with him and the various children he aids throughout almost felt as though the show were trying to justify his actions, explain away bad behaviours and make us route for him in the wrong way.

This book gets you inside the mind of Joe and it’s not as if you justify his actions but you get to see why (from his perspective) they need to be done. You see the spiral of obsession, the darkness of jealousy and the inevitable eruption of rage.

My only concern for this book are those that brand it as romance??? Please rethink x

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Stalking, Physical abuse, Murder, and Kidnapping

aeai's review against another edition

dark sad tense

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

1.0

I watched the series before reading this and I'm quite disappointed. Narratively it isn't (as) interesting or refined, in my opinion, and I found reading the extremely misogynistic stream of consciousness of the main character not appealing in the slightest. I don't like how the characters or their storylines are written, especially when it comes to the women, and I get why the screenwriters felt like they needed to add and change so much for the adaptation. Many clever turns, references, tensions, nuances in the series... turn out to not exist in the original material. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Stalking, and Torture

Moderate: Body shaming and Bullying

shiv123's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Stalking, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Cursing and Stalking

marianne_dashwood's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence

dorianlecter's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction, Car accident, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Medical content, Murder, and Suicide

nxclx's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I'd watch bits of the show, but nothing concrete, so it was still a good read. The protagonist is creepy, and controlling, and the writing was amazing. I know Joe is toxic, but the writing made me want him to succeed, and then it slowly turned, yet still held it's charm. I immediately wanted to pick up Hidden Bodies.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Car accident, Confinement, and Torture

Minor: Suicide

kissmyash0600's review against another edition

dark tense fast-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

5.0

Fast paced, compelling and super creepy. This book was almost uncomfortable to read, but it was so good.  The narrative really fit the story and I think I'll be reading the rest of the series.

Both MCs were maddening and super toxic...i honestly think the only character I liked in this book was Karen. It's also a really interesting commentary on privilege and 'keeping up with the Joneses' Joe is completely delusional and deserves a lot more than he got served in this book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicide, Toxic relationship, and Violence