Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

White Horse by Erika T. Wurth

17 reviews

what_karla_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Murder, and Drug use

Moderate: Death of parent and Drug abuse

Minor: Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Incest, Gun violence, and Gaslighting

theoceanrose's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood

Moderate: Violence, Gun violence, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Gaslighting, Car accident, and Murder

dailywaffle's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Murder, Alcohol, Drug use, and Gaslighting

apworden's review

challenging dark funny sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Addiction, Alcohol, Suicide attempt, Grief, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Xenophobia, Death of parent, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Colonisation, Sexual harassment, Violence, Pedophilia, Murder, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Police brutality, Gun violence, Child abuse, War, Racism, Cursing, and Emotional abuse

mfallon3491's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism, Blood, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Murder, Pedophilia, Death, Alcohol, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Misogyny, Addiction, and Child abuse

careinthelibrary's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Gun violence, Murder, Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Violence, Alcohol, Death, Drug abuse, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Colonisation, Racism, Chronic illness, Incest, and Sexual violence

Minor: Gaslighting and Car accident

sampetsdogs's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

Urban Indian Kari James has had a hard life, and it gets even harder after her cousin Debby unearths an old family bracelet that belonged to Kari's mother. When Kari touches the heirloom, it unlocks something within her and she begins having visions of her mother's ghost and a monster from Chickasaw lore. To put her mother's spirit to rest and defeat the monster, Kari embarks on a journey to discover what happened to her mother all those years ago.

I have conflicted feelings about this book. I was hesitant to pick it up because it was advertised as horror, but after finishing it I would say it's more of a magical realism mystery. I did find the first half of the book to be mildly creepy with Cecilia's ghost and the Lofa monster. There was a creep factor in the second half of the book as well, but only because of the way that Debby's abusive husband and the appearance of a child molester are handled...this part really gave me the ick. Disclaimer -- these issues weren't technically handled improperly, but I just don't vibe with that whole "be the bigger person" and "the victim can't grow and move on without forgiving their abuser" tripe. Some people don't deserve second and third and fourth and millionth chances. Some people don't deserve forgiveness. Some people should have to live with the awful things they've done without being exonerated. But I'm getting personal, let's get back to the review.

I stuck with it because the mystery of Kari's mom was very compelling. While this storyline overall was satisfying, the resolution felt very rushed and tied together a little too neatly. I also really liked Kari herself, although she was mildly irritating at times. Without warning, she would have a flashback to her childhood and her best friend who died young, and it messed with the pacing of a story that, quite frankly, already has pacing issues.

Even with the issues, I enjoyed Wurth's writing and would be willing to try her next novel.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Incest, Murder, and Rape