Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney

33 reviews

frootjoos's review

dark emotional tense medium-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

5.0

This was stressful as hell (tw: infertility and miscarriage, sexual assault) but I enjoyed it too. Told from the POV of a woman in a coma, it flips back and forth in time to the days leading up to a car accident and a traumatic event (think SWF) when she and her best friend were young. 

I can't wait for the next one. I think it especially helps that Stephanie Racine reads her audiobooks.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Infertility, Miscarriage, Sexual assault, and Stalking

Minor: Car accident and Toxic friendship

sadiedavisn's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Dysphoria, and Injury/Injury detail

pinktink415's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

cc_shelflove's review against another edition

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? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Wow. I’ll be honest; I definitely thought I had this one all figured out. This doesn’t happen often, but I didn’t see most of this book coming. Told in three separate timelines, Feeney gives us a look at Amber’s mind while she is in a coma, the events leading up to her accident, and her childhood. I went back and forth with my rating because there was a lot of ambiguity in the ending, but the more I thought about it, the more I recognized that that’s what made this book so clever. The reader is given the freedom to form his or her own hypothesis as to what is “real.” After all, Feeney gives you a warning with the title, Sometimes I Lie… I would recommend this to the sophisticated thriller reader who loves to wear a Sherlock cap. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Miscarriage, Rape, Violence, Blood, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Bullying

Minor: Infertility and Infidelity

pageafter_paige's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense 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

3.0

This was a super quick read that kept me on my toes! I loved how the chapters jumped between diary entries from childhood, present time, and the week leading up to her coma. Even though the title is called Sometimes I Lie I was still fooled a few times hahaha but overall I felt the ending was predictable once a certain big secret was revealed. I do love Alice’s writing and I find it super engaging. I’m not a huge fan of how it all ended in the last chapter but overall I enjoyed the story! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Car accident, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

coffeebookssleep's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Stalking, Car accident, Murder, Abandonment, and Alcohol

velvetreads_'s review

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Addiction, Infertility, Grief, and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Drug abuse, and Gaslighting

nat_foerster's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense 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? Yes

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Addiction and Alcoholism

Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Death, and Death of parent

marieqc's review

dark sad tense slow-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

3.0

content warnings: rape, abuse, murder, etc. there's a lot
it was entertaining until it got too graphic for me

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Car accident, Abortion, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

spelledlikesleigh's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Rape, Medical trauma, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Car accident, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury