Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Resort by Sara Ochs

9 reviews

asuperdoc's review

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder and Rape

Minor: Addiction, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Police brutality, Suicide, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse

raindrops333's review

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

2.0

This book started ok, then out of nowhere does a twist that really had no business being there.

It's like introducing a new character on the last episode of a show and you find out it was the main character all along. No red herrings, nothing, incongruent story stitching because you don't hear that voice until the epilogue. And the reasons were flimsy at best, you don't find out much about why. The other "secrets" were ridiculous and page fillers.

The original rating I had for it was a 3, but that epilogue dropped it to a 2. Really? 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Pedophilia, Trafficking, Toxic relationship, and Murder

Minor: Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, and Suicide attempt

amanda_reads89's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Gun violence, Murder, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Death, Gaslighting, Grief, and Rape

Moderate: Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Alcohol, Drug use, and Drug abuse

Minor: Adult/minor relationship

soobooksalot's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious reflective 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

4.0

Thailand. Two women. Twists upon twists.
This is The Resort by Sara Ochs.
Cass has lived in the island of Koh Sang for two years - she works as a divemaster and is recently engaged.
Brooke is a travel blogger, well-known on Instagram for her gorgeous photos and location recommendations. 
Both are on the island to escape pasts they couldn't shed.
Suspicious deaths have been taking place on Koh Sang, making for the ultimate "locked island" mystery. Chapters alternate between Cass and Brooke, slowly peeling back each woman's story with tons of reveals.
This was a fun and satisfying thriller, perfect for a summer or travel read.
Recommended!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Drug use, Gaslighting, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Infidelity, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, Grief, Drug abuse, Murder, and Rape

madelineafitzgerald's review

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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Lesbophobia, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Self harm, Xenophobia, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, Drug use, and Drug abuse

melinda_sue124's review

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.75

I will write an indepth review after I let my thoughts settle. But overall it was a good book imo, it definitely seemed by the synopsis it was like the movie fantasy Island meets a murderous TV show/game minus the prize money at the end and it was definitely not that lol. But more thoughts to come. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide attempt, Murder, Violence, Toxic friendship, Police brutality, Death of parent, Blood, Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Stalking, Self harm, Rape, Pedophilia, Misogyny, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Death, Sexual assault, Mental illness, Colonisation, Drug use, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, and Injury/Injury detail

fkshg8465's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.5

More like a 3.5. A little convoluted. Character development was a bit superficial - partially because there were too many. Entertaining enough.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Violence, Suicide attempt, Rape, Death, Infidelity, Death of parent, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Sexual violence, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Blood, Adult/minor relationship, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Murder

mostlyliterate's review against another edition

mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.0

My rating: 2
I received an advance review copy of the audiobook The Resort by Sara Ochs from NetGalley and RB Media in exchange for feedback. Thank you!

I’m a sucker for a pretty cover, and I thought the plot description sounded compelling, so I put in a request for this book. The narrators did a good job, and I listened to the full 10.5 hours. 

Although I really enjoyed the first third of this book, in the later sections I found myself frustrated with the plot and characterization. 

I finished this book because I had received an ARC and wanted to give a complete review, but if not I would have dropped it when

Cass’s family backstory was revealed. I had many issues with the portrayal of mental illness and mental health in this book, but I found Cass’s father particularly unrealistic and harmful. I think it is a tired and dangerous strategy to rely on the stigma of a condition like bipolar to make a character irredeemable.

Overall, this book fits the formula of a tense thriller set in a gorgeous location with a mysterious cast and plenty of plot twists. It reminded me a bit of Alex Michaelides‘s The Silent Patient, which was eventful enough to keep me reading but (in my opinion) ultimately unsatisfying due to its prioritizing unpredictably over a rich narrative. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug abuse, Murder, Grief, Mental illness, Self harm, and Rape

Moderate: Stalking, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Child abuse, Infidelity, and Police brutality

Minor: Fatphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Racism, and Medical trauma

yvo_about_books's review against another edition

4.0

 Finished reading: June 20th 2023

"None of them ever knew who I really am under this façade, beneath the scar tissue."

*** A copy of this book was kindly provided to me by Netgalley and Bantam in exchange for an honest review. Thank you! ***

I love a good thriller with a foreign setting and/or travel element, so of course I simply HAD to add The Dive to my TBR as soon as I first heard about it. It was cover love at first sight, and not only because of that paradise background, but also because of what is written below the title. What better way to draw a reader in than with the words 'We hope you survive your stay'? It worked for me at least... Add the scuba diving, death and the promise of secrets, and I've been looking forward to read The Dive.

What a ride it turned out to be! One of the reasons I ended up having such a great time reading The Dive most definitely has to do with the setting. Like I said before, I love a story with a foreign setting and/or travel element, and this story offers both. The Dive is set on a small island in Thailand, and the many vivid descriptions of the setting really make Koh Sang come alive. I was ready to jump on the next plane to paradise long before that final page! The fact that the story is set at a resort and shows what life is like working in tourism really spoke to me (I've worked as a hostel receptionist at various Latin American locations in the past), and I liked what this added to the plot.

The Dive uses what is basically a dual POV structure (if you don't count the prologue and epilogue). The story switches between scuba diving instructor Cass and guest/influencer Brooke, which I personally really appreciated as this way we could see both sides of life at the resort. Both Brooke and Cass seem to be hiding something, and this made it intriguing to see the two interact and watch the story unfold. I did think that Cass' secret was drawn out too much, and it started to get a bit annoying... But I could understand why she did the things she did considering her mental state.

The writing style is very engaging, and it's very easy to just keep turning those pages. Especially once the first body shows up, and the tension and suspense increases with each chapter. What really happened that night, was it murder and who would be behind it? What secrets and possibly shady pasts are the characters hiding? There seems to be something off about just about every single one of the Permanents, and as a result there are plenty of suspects to play around with in your head. And while I guessed part of the truth right, and never saw the full picture coming... That epilogue was brilliantly done.

If you are looking for a well written, engaging and suspenseful thriller with a tropical setting and plenty of secrets and suspects, The Dive is an excellent choice. Make sure to brace yourself for a wild ride! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Stalking, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Grief, Infidelity, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Bullying, Child abuse, Car accident, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Blood, Rape, Alcohol, Classism, Death of parent, Police brutality, Self harm, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Gun violence, and Toxic relationship