Reviews tagging 'Cancer'

If You Tell by Gregg Olsen

46 reviews

heathermarie08's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

3.0

This is a horrible story of an evil mother, her brave children and victims. I usually enjoy true crime but for some reason did not enjoy this book as much. It read a bit slow and I felt like could've been a shorter book.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, and Bullying

Moderate: Suicide attempt, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Child death, Excrement, and Fatphobia

Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Blood, Cancer, and Alcohol

shiv91's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.0

This was not an easy book to read. It's based on a true story, which makes it all the more disturbing. I'm glad that the 3 sisters got through it together and that there were repercussions for their parents (not enough, in my opinion)

I have absolutely zero sympathy for the father and I think him playing as if he's another victim is gross.

I wasn't a fan of how the book was written. I know the author interviewed various people and had to use these to piece together different points of views for the book, but it felt really awkwardly written. I think this made it annoying to read. 

So me not giving 5 stars is not to do with the heartwrenching story but with the actual writing style.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Child death, Murder, Physical abuse, Confinement, Death, Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Cancer, Blood, Domestic abuse, and Torture

melly82092's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

5.0

I don't think I have ever read a story more painful and gut wrenching then this one. The Author did an excellent job re-telling the events through the POV of those involved. This one is going to haunt me for quite awhile, I can feel it... 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child death, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Death, Body shaming, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Torture, Murder, Mental illness, Cursing, Child abuse, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Abandonment, Drug use, Cancer, and Blood

peyrenepey's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Torture, Gaslighting, and Death

Moderate: Cancer

mtehan7's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Forced institutionalization, Torture, Body shaming, Gaslighting, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual assault, Suicide attempt, Child abuse, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Gore, Homophobia, Abandonment, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Drug abuse, Physical abuse, Cancer, Child death, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Violence, Vomit, and Sexual harassment

cxxitlyn's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense slow-paced

1.5

The writing in this book really ruined it for me. It felt very poor for the first half, after that it just seemed I had grown “used” to it. The events described are horrific, and it’s hard to remember that these are things people truly lived through and experienced. Reading their story is really the only thing that kept me reading. Their events are told in detail though, so this book is not for the faint of heart as some of the things described are incredibly hard to read. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Bullying, Death, Abandonment, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Violence, Fatphobia, Grief, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Vomit, Torture, Toxic friendship, Blood, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Child abuse, Cursing, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Animal death, Cancer, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Abortion, Hate crime, Murder, and Homophobia

miahmcnelson's review

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

5.0

Amazing read. Will definitely be reading this any time I need to look a great writing and a heart wrenching story

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Cancer

mkrauth12's review

challenging dark emotional informative sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Murder, Physical abuse, Body horror, Child death, Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, Cancer, Confinement, Mental illness, Slavery, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Torture, and Violence

alisacress's review

emotional informative sad fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse

Minor: Cancer

purpleshamrock's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Torture, Child abuse, Death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Incest, Mental illness, Murder, Slavery, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic friendship, Bullying, Cancer, Body shaming, Confinement, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, and Violence