Reviews tagging 'Child death'

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

41 reviews

ryendnae's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, and Child abuse

Moderate: Suicide and Murder

Minor: Alcohol, Infidelity, Domestic abuse, Animal death, Child death, and Adult/minor relationship

frankensteinscreature's review

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

1.5

I have rather conflicting feelings about this book, I picked it up as a blind date with a book and it’s not something I would usually gravitate towards. I think the writing style was objectively bad but it did draw me in (I suppose that is what thrillers are supposed to do). It could have been good if not for the horrendously stereotypical and frankly homophobic depictions of the one queer character clearly written by a straight woman that does not like gay men. The sort of predatory relationship that she wanted for the story did not need to manifest itself in such a homophobic way. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Child death, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Murder, Domestic abuse, Rape, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Drug use, Death of parent, Abortion, Confinement, and Adult/minor relationship

lenaricharz's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Miscarriage, Murder, Pedophilia, Violence, Physical abuse, Confinement, Death, Drug use, and Child death

bex2271's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death of parent, Child death, and Death

paperkindle's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad fast-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

3.0

Never, ever, let a stranger in. Unless you have a plumbing problem or whatever.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Miscarriage, Murder, and Sexual assault

Minor: Animal death and Rape

themoodreader's review against another edition

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Physical abuse, Rape, Animal cruelty, Miscarriage, Abandonment, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Pedophilia, Infidelity, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Chronic illness

readwithev's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? No

4.25

This book sucked me in. I love all the clues Libby and Miller find that unlocked pieces of their Chelsea house history. Having three characters’ perspectives was great. It called into question how accurate each characters’ memory is/isn’t. how do they perceive and process their trauma? How does it affect them as adults?
Moreover, I enjoyed Henry’s perspective. He’s an enthralling complicated mix of a traumatized child, suppressed gay man, dark sociopath, self aware yet unapologetic, but also a manipulative narcissist. I feel connected to him, but also disgusted.
I did particularly predict some of the mystery and twists but some of them I didn’t due to the characters’ varying accounts. That is why the book doesn’t get a full 5 stars. Overall, really enjoyed it.

The book ends on a nail biting cliff hanger which I enjoyed but it also left me feeling tense.
I didn’t really enjoy the addition of Libby and Miller’s love story. It was subtle but I thought it was unnecessary. However, I did like that Libby’s adoptive mother had a chaotic lifestyle, and death of her adoptive father left her with anxious tendencies.
Though Lucy gets away with murder, it’s also closure for her. I feel okay with it even though murder is wrong. Her ex was trying to rape her, he was physically and emotionally abusive, and he was a criminal. In a sick way, it’s justice for Lucy and signals the end of her terrible life in France.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Child death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, and Murder

Moderate: Torture

lucyrudd's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Infidelity, Murder, Pregnancy, Bullying, Car accident, Child death, Grief, Torture, Gaslighting, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Animal death, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Rape, and Violence

jeevash's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child abuse, Child death, Murder, Animal death, and Domestic abuse

jacs63's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

While I enjoyed this easy to read, page-turner, I'm not a fan of books the run on a 3 chapter turn-over. 
There's one chapter about the going's on in the 80's and 90's in Chelsea; then an up to date chapter about some members of the family, and then one about a very innocent member of the plot. 
I find it hard sometimes to keep the interest going when there is a 2 chapter gap before the story continues again. I find it annoying. 
Its a fairly gruesome story at times, but its quite predictable. 
It's a good book and worth 4 stars, but so over-hyped by the publishers etc. Saying that, I will read the sequel, only because I want to find out about Phin. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Abandonment, Cursing, Rape, Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Miscarriage, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Violence