Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

146 reviews

sylvestra's review

dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse and Confinement

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Miscarriage, Alcohol, Drug use, and Murder

cassmills's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship

veelaughtland's review

challenging dark mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Death, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Miscarriage, and Physical abuse

hazedaze's review against another edition

I am just not really in the right headspace for a time jumping, mystery thriller. I may come back to it later. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Death

blondewarrior's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, and Rape

Minor: Death and Suicide

itskay24's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse and Violence

Moderate: Murder and Adult/minor relationship

bastobika's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

👍 : 
🏫 twisted family history
💕empathized with the characters
💯multiple POVs in different timelines
🔥slow burn
📖 tragic story with a happy ending

👎 : 
👨‍👩‍👧 more of a family drama than a thriller
🚫 some components were hard to believe

💭 Overall Thoughts : 

This book was a page turner despite being a slow burn with over 400 pages ! I loved the twisted and complicated family history that was unfolded beautifully through three perspectives from different people parallely in differ timelines. I deeply empathized with the traumatized teenagers and how they handled themselves. 

The reveal about Libby’s birth parents were half expected and half out of the box which kept me engaged till almost the very end !

There were some parts in the plot though which didn’t seem quite realistic to me. 

I could not relate how David got away with dominating for so many years and nobody noticed. For example, when Henry’s Uncle came and knocked for 7 days, didn’t get any response but didn’t do anything about it.

Also, when Henry introduced himself as Phin, drugged and locked Libby and Miller, took their phones and added trackers, it was weird that Libby and Miller didn’t question it later on that why Henry did this if his sole intention was just to find Libby.

And being a murder mystery, the murder itself wasn’t that interesting and also predictable. 

But I still enjoyed reading the family drama ! And it’s such a poetic justice that I found David’s characteristics being reflected in Henry ! ❤️

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, and Domestic abuse

dyeganian's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Abandonment, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Adult/minor relationship, and Sexual assault

batcaves's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Abortion, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Animal death, Rape, Pregnancy, Death of parent, Infertility, Child abuse, Death, Miscarriage, Domestic abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Infidelity, Murder, Sexual assault, Violence, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Chronic illness

peeshpish's review against another edition

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

3.0

It was a slow start but once it picks up, it moves fast. The story flows well once the three POVs become more closely intertwined & the connections are more clear. There are many twists & turns along the way, & the story continues to develop until the very last sentence. Libby’s POV is an often needed relief from the heaviness of the other two, much less tense but still moves the story forward. Many characters felt flat or aligned with stereotypes that I’d expect more from a book written earlier than one written in 2019, but I still ended up reading most of the book in one sitting so I was definitely invested.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Violence, Rape, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Murder, Grief, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Confinement, and Death

Moderate: Abandonment, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, and Misogyny

Minor: Suicide, Homophobia, Medical content, Sexual harassment, Pregnancy, Infertility, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Abortion, Blood, and Pedophilia

Lucy’s chapters are heavy with

sexual assault & domestic violence. She is raped & murders her attacker. If it helps to know, she is not punished for killing him.

The chapters set in the past (labelled “Chelsea, [year]”) contain a lot lf

child abuse, domestic violence, & are where most of the content warnings come into play.

Libby’s chapters are generally safe for content, mostly vague details about the fate & story of the people who lived in the house she inherits.