Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

31 reviews

alliedelexa's review

dark 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? It's complicated

4.0

this was my first book 2023 and it did not disappoint! this book left me feeling unsettled and not sure what or who to believe. a poster child of “unreliable narrator” 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Infertility, Pregnancy, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Toxic relationship, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, Alcoholism, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity

becca_w_'s review

challenging dark emotional sad 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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Body horror, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Medical content, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Alcohol, Blood, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Physical abuse, Murder, and Panic attacks/disorders

lindseyrenee's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

3.25

While this was a page turner, I didn’t love it. The characters didn’t feel like they had any depth to them whatsoever. Each was described physically and given a profession, but that’s as far as it went. From the beginning there were unbelievable parts, mainly that someone would enter into a plural marriage and agree from day one to ask zero questions and be just okay with being kept a complete secret.

I also really didn’t love the idea of the twist only being mental illness and her ending up giving into the “crazy” by attacking Regina

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Toxic relationship, Stalking, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Infertility, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Mental illness

Moderate: Alcohol, Infertility, Infidelity, and Gun violence

kelley_beth's review

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? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Eye roll inducing at many times, mainly in the first half, BUT, I will give it that it went in a direction I totally didn’t see coming, and it got far more interesting after that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Mental illness, and Miscarriage

Moderate: Physical abuse and Domestic abuse

Minor: Murder and Suicide

mangofraiche's review against another edition

dark 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Death, Infertility, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Stalking, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Physical abuse, and Violence

marareading's review

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

The book of red flags 😂 I read this book for my traveling bookclub, so I didn't choose it for myself. Though it did sound very interesting. 

We definitely have an unreliable main character. She is what I call "tofu". She doesn't seem to have much of a personality of her own, but soaks up what is around her. She is on a plural marriage with Seth and his two other wives. She has never met them. It's part of the arrangement. Things start to come to light though... Lies, information, and half truths. Or are they? It is a wild ride. 

I am definitely not the thriller book reader to turn to for reliable top reads in this genre, but this was a quick page turner that kept me guessing. I was curious enough to keep going, but not overwhelmed with how amazing it was either. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Mental illness

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, and Gun violence

emilyspex's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

0.5

Um... Fucking WHAT??

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infertility, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Sexual content

Moderate: Abandonment, Alcohol, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Death of parent

chandlerwood's review

dark mysterious 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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Infertility, Infidelity, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

marytheblueberry's review

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Infertility, Miscarriage, Violence, Mental illness, and Grief

Moderate: Medical content, Domestic abuse, Medical trauma, and Physical abuse

Minor: Pregnancy, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, and Gaslighting

beckyremillard's review

dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.25

The main character of this book (name not revealed until halfway through or so) is married to a man who has two other wives. She starts to be curious about Seth’s other wives and learns more than she expected. 

This book definitely held my attention. However, nothing was shocking and I found it to be predictable, which I don’t like my thrillers to be. 

The ending was also a bit rushed. We obviously get the reveal of the truth and see who is lying or telling the truth and it’s only a chapter or two of a conclusion without much contact to explain the issues that came up previously in the story. 

We’re obviously meant to question the narrator’s sanity but she barely questions it herself. She’s so convinced she’s right, it’s obvious that she isn’t. It was interesting but I wouldn’t say there’s a twist. 

Additionally, I was doubting the situation from the beginning because it didn’t seem to make sense, so I definitely expected the unreliable narrator. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Murder, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, Violence, Gun violence, Infertility, Infidelity, Stalking, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Animal death and Transphobia