Reviews tagging 'Animal death'

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

92 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

ashsupahfire's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? No

3.25

It took me some time to finish the first 40% of the book. Same with most thrillers, it’s a slow start where we set the scene. I finished the rest of the book in one sitting. 

I also would not call this a thriller as there was no stakes, just a mystery in an old house. 

If they would have keep the mystery of the lurking person in the house going on longer, or connected the ex husband to the mystery, or expanded on the being locked in Henry’s room thing longer, maybe

All of the subplots felt forced but the narrator of the 1990s cult section is what we really kept me sprung on this book as a habitual DNF’er. The present day storyline does get its big twist but I will still say the cult storyline is where I intensively read. 

Would have been nice if they expanded more on the two siblings clearly having the murder gene. Sure both were accidentally but neither felt phased by it. Or maybe that was an oversight of the author or not having them display any empathy for their dead parents. In a way I can see how all 3 deserved to die but both went immediately into clean up and escape mode. Clemency seems to be the only one traumatized.

I could read a second book where they learn more about the children of the cult 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia and Stalking

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Animal death and Vomit

unluckycats's review against another edition

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death and Animal cruelty

loonysaurus's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, Abandonment, Blood, Body shaming, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Alcohol, Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Sexual content, and Torture

Minor: Deportation, Abortion, Gore, Homophobia, and Infertility

caprireads215's review against another edition

challenging 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Infidelity, Murder, Animal death, Violence, Pregnancy, Confinement, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Torture, Pedophilia, Mental illness, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Gaslighting, and Adult/minor relationship

h_elene's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Abortion, Abandonment, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Eating disorder, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Religious bigotry, and Sexual assault

sandysmith's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense 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

4.5

It was an easy read for me, and I devoured this book very quickly. Told from 3 seemingly unconnected points of view, which gradually their connection is revealed. It's essentially about 4 children living in a sort of cult and a baby. The adults were really unlikeable either through weakness or just horribly dark. The four children include an abandoned baby inheriting a valuable house in London, Libby (serenity), Phin, Clemence, Henry, and Lucy. All the characters are brilliantly written, giving the reader a ride of emotions. This book should come with trigger warnings as it could be triggering for some. It's a very dark, twisty, engrossing read of betrayal, redemption, and brutal family dynamics. What's not to love? Fab stuff

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, and Confinement

Moderate: Rape, Pregnancy, Miscarriage, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, and Abandonment

leeartscot's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Rape, Animal death, Death, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship

littlepelkey20's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Murder, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Confinement

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Pregnancy, Suicide, Death, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, and Child abuse

Minor: Sexual assault, Abortion, Infertility, Miscarriage, Animal death, and Rape

readingwithel's review against another edition

challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

I have mixed opinions about this book. I found it a bit boring to start with and got so confused as to who everyone was, however as the plot got more dark and twisted I started to get into it a bit more as I was more interested. The plot twists were good but I do think there were a few to many that the overwhelmingness (not a word I know) of it took away a bit of the marvel as there was like three plot twists in one chapter about

who's the baby was.

That brother was a bit odd and I'm excited to see what he does in the next book. Overall, wouldn't be a book I would be excited to recommend, but I still enjoyed it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Moderate: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Suicide, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Death, and Pregnancy

Minor: Animal death and Animal cruelty