Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Insatiable by Daisy Buchanan

10 reviews

cecilialau_'s review against another edition

4.0

This was very much a page-turner for me. And I’m still surprised by that to be fair - bc “white woman is unhappy“ isn’t always done well or interestingly tbh (e.g. forced relatability or she’s just spoiled). So I don’t reach for those stories often, but I though this one had a bit of a twist to that and the contrasts of rich/poor was the focal point in many aspects.
A flawed main character - a general thing with these ppl and realistic, and some you really “disliked” with a passion. Enjoyed how and what we got to know about her.

- I really wish the blurb said less btw. At least the penultimate paragraph needs to go… I try to only read the first paragraph in the blurb and then I might read more of it once I’m “in” the story, otherwise I feel it spoils the fun of exploring when you first sit down with it if you know too much or the blurb takes your expectations in the wrong/an unnecessary direction.

Anyway, there’s loads of sex, hence the erotica descriptor. Which I think explains (at least to some degree) the “low” rating bc some ppl are just a bit prudish when you read through some of the reviews, let’s be honest….
I’d say a very intriguing, exciting and frustrating story about actually considering our worth and self-esteem.

(A few things said e.g. about ending your life that I wasn’t too sure about in terms of phrasing though.)

THRILLED that Nadia came back into her life and she seemingly made some great (conscious) choices in the end. Love that for her.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Gaslighting, Infidelity, Abandonment, Child death, Toxic friendship, Grief, Eating disorder, and Emotional abuse

emmah_reads's review

3.5

Check content warnings!

I felt like there were too many plot points in this book -  could have done without the career plot line and definitely without

the graphic depictions of sexual assault and eating disorder plot line

! 

The exploration of societal expectations and norms of adulthood, and the challenges of pushing against them, was more interesting and the more compelling aspect of the narrative. The author makes really astute observations on partnership and platonic love through Violet’s story, but they get a little lost in everything else that this book is trying to do.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Eating disorder, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Child death

amyp3's review against another edition

funny reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Uncomfortable and weird but actually v good

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

sib_reads's review against another edition

emotional funny hopeful 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

Moderate: Child death, Death, Gaslighting, Sexual violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Vomit

Minor: Alcohol and Drug use

katiewhocanread's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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? Yes

Frustratingly inconsistent in quality. Ridiculously porny (by which I don't just mean explicit, but the sex scenes are often contrived and unconvincing, and leave you asking "who's putting what where now?") Protagonist Violet makes terrible choices throughout, and I'm not sure I was rooting for a happy ending for her so much as just wanted to stay her kicking and screaming away from the awful, awful creeps she's got involved with. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Grief, Dysphoria, Infidelity, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Vomit, and Child death

illustratedangel's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

2.75

writing went from mildly good to unreadable every paragraph. never have i hated a book so much but still wanted to finish it

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Rape, and Miscarriage

daisyvb's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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

4.0

It's like Sally Rooney read Bridget Jones and said hey what if she was in her late twenties, went through a bit more trauma, and actually got some every other day

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Eating disorder, and Emotional abuse

rainyhayley's review against another edition

dark 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

1.75

I have never been left more high and dry by a book. I wanted this book to be good SO badly. I wanted it to be queer and sexy and slightly more wild than your normal vanilla smut romance. Unfortunately this one really missed the mark for me, Violet is unlikeable, as is almost everyone else. The manipulation of Violet by the other characters was awful and from the beginning this book just made me sad. There was a lack of consent in most of the sex scenes and the only sex scene i enjoyed was the one right at the END. Which I almost didn’t get to because I really wanted to DNF this one. The plot is lacking and I didn’t root for Violet at all. This book also has some big trigger warnings that I should’ve looked at before I read it. The ending of this book is the ONLY redeeming factor for me. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Grief, and Gaslighting

ggcavs's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad 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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Grief, Eating disorder, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Rape, Gaslighting, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders

samwisecoochie's review against another edition

funny lighthearted 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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Eating disorder