Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski

56 reviews

reading_srsly's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

4.5

* Class inequality

* Grooming & Manipulation

* Mystery

* LGBTQ+ Romance

In a world where everything is accepted at face value and even the simplest of things are strictly regulated, all it takes is the slightest seed of curiosity to disrupt the careful balance of their society. 

The writing was a little tough to get into at first, it’s very simple and short despite being dialogue and conversation heavy. But the story itself is arresting (sometimes quite literally), and the mystery of the world is well woven through the setting and characters. The foreshadowing is heavy to the point the plot is somewhat predictable, but it’s still enjoyable to see it unfold. 

Sid is hands down my favorite character. Sid is the quintessential love interest, complete with witty banter and a devil-may-care attitude. She doesn’t hide her plans for the future or her flaws, and the subtle openness without triggering the many thinly veiled alarm bells of some other love interests easily catapults her to memorability. It is worth noting that there is a lot of manipulation and selfishness within just about every relationship of the story, and despite Sid’s levity this is also a pretty heavy read that features childhood trauma and manipulation. 

The big thing that drags this book down from five stars is that the ending felt highly unsatisfying.

I didn’t need a happily ever after, but after so long languishing in parties and the slow trickle of discovery, it seemed like the author rushed her way through to setting up book two.

This is a thought-provoking book that would be a great book club read. It highlights what happens when people neglect asking questions, the importance of a fresh outsider’s perspective, and the importance of holding on to history. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism and Emotional abuse

Minor: Death of parent, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

dreamdust1600's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

Its sapphic and it slaps

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Abandonment, Lesbophobia, Toxic relationship, Classism, Murder, Confinement, Blood, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Medical content, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Police brutality

Moderate: Sexual harassment

hue's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

The backside text hardly does any justice to the story within. Marie Rutkoski has woven an intricate, fantastically drab world where injustice is hideously clear yet accepted. 

I adored the characters, the differences between High Kith and Half-Kith and Middlings, the writing was lucious and lurid, the telling captivatingly vivid. 

Nirrim was such a pleasure to follow as she wandered through her thoughts and actions, disassembling all that she had grown up believing, never realising how twisted and unfair it all had been. 

If you enjoyed this wonderful story, I recommend two other books that gave me the same feeling as this did.
1. The City of Woven Streets by Emmi Itäranta
2. Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting, Sexism, Sexual content, Child abuse, Murder, Death, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia

strawberrycandy's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting

Moderate: Emotional abuse and Physical abuse

huonekasvis's review

adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, and Classism

Moderate: Toxic relationship

Minor: Body horror, Grief, and Violence

lordcass's review against another edition

adventurous challenging hopeful

• 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse

willsnow's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, and Physical abuse

Would have been really good as a stand alone but if there is a second book then this was also amazing lol

laurawil's review against another edition

adventurous 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? No

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Gaslighting

jainabee's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious sad fast-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

4.75

I got this in the Banned Books Box subscription and was curious to read something totally new to me. Had a hard time putting it down and now am hungry for more! The story twists and turns in ways that startled me and I gave up trying to predict anything about the characters. How refreshing! And lovely writing. A pleasure to read and I'm so glad there's more!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Classism, Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Drug use, Slavery, and Blood

Moderate: Police brutality, Child death, Grief, Kidnapping, Torture, Murder, Lesbophobia, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War

Considering all of the challenging content in the book, it is all handled in a way that I could tolerate (I am somewhat squeamish) and I did not feel personally triggered. I have no problem with putting a book down if the violence is too graphic or gory for my tastes or if the cruelty and abuse goes beyond a brief explicit detail.

sapphic_in_the_stacks's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Though slow to start, once the book begins to pick up it grabs your attention and holds it until the end. Finale of the book leaves many things unresolved, leaving you wanting more. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Child abuse, Classism, Drug use, Toxic relationship, War, Death, and Murder

Minor: Cannibalism