Reviews tagging 'Car accident'

Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent

56 reviews

disguisedposer's review against another edition

emotional mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Blood, Car accident, Grief, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Suicidal thoughts, Confinement, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Kidnapping, Rape, Death, Child abuse, Pedophilia, and Violence

spookymartinireads's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

I thought my family was f****d up 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Self harm, Car accident, Confinement, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, and Misogyny

dominosmum444's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

3.5

first half of the book was excellent, however i feel quite dissatisfied with the ending. like other readers have noted, the synopsis did not prepare me for the content of the book, please do check the content warnings before reading. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Suicide, Confinement, Pedophilia, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Car accident

libreadsbooks's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Pregnancy, Murder, and Kidnapping

Minor: Car accident, Rape, and Violence

mysteriesandhistories's review

challenging dark emotional 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

3.25

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

Moderate: Racial slurs, Lesbophobia, and Homophobia

musings_of_a_middleaged_mum's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny

Minor: Rape, Pedophilia, Confinement, Mental illness, Racism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Ableism, Car accident, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault

ppppaula's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

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

grimalkin7's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad 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

4.25

I may need botox after how much frowning I did! "Jesus Christ!" was also invoked quite frequently.

This book kept me engaged because of the constant plot twists and it  keept me guessing. Though odd, Sally became quite a loveable character and I thoroughly enjoyed her growth, but also her bluntness (my favourite quote being "Stop calling me a racist." "Stop being one."). It was heartwarming to see her friendships blossom and I was gutted reading how they all kind of fell apart at the end.

I was really rooting for Peter and was so disappointed when he turned out to be just like his dad, more or less. Hey, a kidnapper with morals is still a kidnapper!

The ending was a bit of a let down for me because I was optimistic it would be a happy one, but I suppose Liz didn't want it to be predictable.

With that said, this was one of the most captivating reads for me in a while. I could hardly put the book down because I just wanted to find out what happened next! Liz did a good job with those cliff hangers.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, and Rape

Moderate: Sexual assault, Suicide, Car accident, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Mental illness, and Racism

cheryl_gager's review

challenging dark emotional sad 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? It's complicated

4.25

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

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

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.

karlzlee's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Pregnancy, Sexism, Forced institutionalization, Adult/minor relationship, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Torture, Racism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Car accident, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Rape, and Violence