Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Comfort Me with Apples by Catherynne M. Valente

31 reviews

batcaves's review

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Murder, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse

hmn54437's review

challenging mysterious reflective tense medium-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? Yes

4.5

I think this book had some really interesting things to say. My brain just hurts. 

I definitely recommend reading the last few chapters a couple times as well as going back and reading the pantomime scene and the tea party scene over again after finishing the book. Those particular scenes feel completely different upon figuring out the twist. 

Although it was not exactly what I was expecting, it surprised me and was an eye-opening read. I say go in with as few expectations as possible. 

I wish I could go back and read it without reading the synopsis because I feel like it could’ve easily been 5 stars had I not gone in with premeditated expectations and ideas of what was happening. However, I can tell I’m going to be thinking about this one for a while.i’m 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Misogyny, Body horror, and Emotional abuse

thecatconstellation's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

I feel like this is hard to review without spoiling the plot, but it’s a dark, Stepford Wives meets Christian mythology kind of deal. I think this was overall an effective and interesting novella, but falls short in tension/mystery. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Death, Gore, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Confinement, Body horror, Blood, and Child death

orizenda's review

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• 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

4.5

I actually had a lot of fun with this one. Beautifully written, too. Interested to read more from Valente.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, Death, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Sexual assault

brookebatesratesbooks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse

Minor: Body horror

krhe's review

dark tense medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

Ojalá hubiera tenido otro twist distinto. El estilo estaba increíble, pero me hubiera gustado que quedara un poco menos sobreexplicado, o que se jugara más con lo truculento en la mente de la protagonista y en su entorno. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Blood, Domestic abuse, Violence, Confinement, and Death

literaryliaisons's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Domestic abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Murder

arthur_ant18's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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: Gore, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Death, Confinement, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, and Body horror

Moderate: Murder

Minor: Fatphobia and Body shaming

aardwyrm's review

dark mysterious sad slow-paced

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

4.0

Valente's stylized approach to novels, like any experimental art, is always striking and memorable, though this isn't one of the more successful experiments. The prose is luscious, the fairy-tale horror well executed, and nothing's really missing. It just also doesn't add up to anything greater than the sum of its parts. A lot of novellas are short novels. This one is a long short story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Death, Eating disorder, Misogyny, Sexual content, Grief, Gaslighting, Murder, Sexism, Physical abuse, and Violence

novabooks's review

dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, and Murder