Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

Karen McManus One Of Us Is Lying Paperback - 1 June 2017 by Karen M. McManus, Karen M. McManus

58 reviews

azileotulp's review against another edition

dark funny mysterious 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

4.75

I'm gonna say right now that this was soooooo close to being a 5-star read for me. In all honesty, it probably should be because I only had one minor issue that is totally petty and that no one else probably cares about, but I personally can't overlook it. (I'll be discussing that under the spoiler tag later though.)

I do have to say that this was such an engaging mystery. Sadly, I did have part of the ending spoiled for me because one of the reviewers here doesn't know how to use spoiler warnings, but even with that spoiler, I was still able to enjoy it. It was just as much fun to try to figure out why the person responsible did what they did.

I also loved the characters so much. Usually in books with multiple perspectives, there's always that one character's POV that I'm just trying to get through before I can get back to the more interesting characters. This book wasn't like that at all. Even the characters I originally didn't like at first (who I did grow to love throughout the story, by the way) had such compelling perspectives that I was always excited to read them. And I have to say, I am such a Bronwyn and Nate fan...

Which brings me to my only problem with this book. Like I said... it's petty, but I don't even care. Yes, Bronwyn and Nate do end up together in the end, which I'm so happy about, don't get me wrong. But that little period of time at the end when it seemed like they went their separate ways? That hurt. Especially when I started reading the epilogue set 3 months later and saw that Bronwyn was dating Evan??? I actually bursted into tears. That period of uncertainty just went on too long for me, especially after having read another mystery novel where the protagonist and her love interest do actually go their separate ways. I won't say which book that was, but it genuinely made me sick, and I was so scared it was going to happen again. So, like I said, petty reason for not giving the book 5 stars, but amazing author should have thought about that before scaring me like that.

I do also want to talk a bit about my baby boy Cooper.

I had no idea this book had a prominent LGBTQ+ character, but now I'm happy I decided to read it during Pride Month. Y'all, I feel so connected to Cooper and I'm going to be thinking about him for months. We're both southern gays with homophobic fathers, and we have such similar queer experiences. What really got me was that ride home with his father before he came out to his family. When I came out to my mother, I was also fretting over it while in the car with her, and as soon as we parked, I told her. His story just resonated so deeply with me, and I'm so sorry I was hating on him at the beginning for being a cheater. (Yes, he did still cheat, but I favor gay people and his ex seemed to forgive him by the end. Leave me alone.) I love you, Cooper, and I'm sorry I ever doubted your good nature.

All in all, I truly adored this book. I was captivated the entire time I was reading, but especially those last seventy or so pages. I was gasping, shrieking, throwing up (okay, slightly exaggerated on that last one, but I did gag once). I can't recommend it more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Grief, Homophobia, Infidelity, Outing, Death, Bullying, Cursing, and Mental illness

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Chronic illness, Cancer, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, and Alcoholism

Minor: Medical content, Sexual content, Violence, Car accident, Racial slurs, Confinement, Gun violence, Blood, Mass/school shootings, and Racism

While I didn't add "eating disorder" as a content warning, one character is described multiple times as becoming much skinnier and seems to lose about 10 pounds in a short period of time. This is most likely due to stress rather than body issues.

thequiltyreader's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

3.5

It was OK. Typical YA high school book and it felt a little immature at times - using language and sexual references that didn't add to the overall story, or at least I didn't feel like it did.

It had the stereotypical characters and in a stereotypical manner they are thrust together into a situation they have to work through.  I did however find myself playing along with the story and trying to unpick what had happened as the story developed.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Car accident, Death, Infidelity, Sexual content, Homophobia, Murder, Outing, Self harm, Suicide, Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Drug use, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, Drug abuse, and Suicidal thoughts

sare1125's review against another edition

dark 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? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Death, and Sexual content

Moderate: Homophobia

add_a_little_spook's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Classism, Mental illness, Bullying, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Infidelity and Violence

Minor: Sexual content

anwenpullenxx's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

This book is so good! Loved it so much! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Cursing, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, and Violence

greatexpectations77's review against another edition

challenging mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

I really liked this one, and I was hooked the whole time. My only annoyance is that the narrators didn't discuss with each other what kind of Southern accent that Cooper should have, so everyone's accent for him was all over the place. But I'm excited to work through this series.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Outing, Child death, Homophobia, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Death, Murder, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity

Minor: Grief, Mental illness, Suicide, Cancer, Drug use, Sexual content, and Alcohol

itsjadenbaby's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

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

2.75

The epilogue was so pointless. Other than that, this wasn’t a super memorable book for me. It definitely wasn’t bad, I just wasn’t super impressed. I’m glad that so many other people liked it though!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Outing, Suicide, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Toxic friendship, Addiction, Infidelity, Bullying, Child death, Homophobia, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Self harm, Abandonment, Classism, Confinement, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Grief

Minor: Sexual content

riverstyx1325's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Bullying, Abandonment, Alcoholism, Blood, Infidelity, Outing, Suicidal thoughts, Homophobia, and Violence

Moderate: Mass/school shootings

Minor: Sexual content and Cancer

ashie_kate's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

4.25

I quite liked it. Do love how lowkey Karen M. McManus's mysteries are despite them being about murders. I was just a little disappointed on who it ended up being.

I understand that suicide is something that should be in books, and I was not expecting it at all. But I think I would've preferred it to have been Jake is was fully guilty rather than it being a plan because Simon is messed up. My favourite scene however is when Jake comes after Addy and hurts her because he found she was there. It is realistic that this guy who abused her during their relationship would lay hands on her after she finds out that he is an assistant in such a twisted plan.

Overall a really good book and I will continue to read her books. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, and Suicide

Moderate: Emotional abuse

Minor: Sexual content

maytheseason245's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense 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

3.75

It’s amazing and you never expect the ending

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, and Murder

Minor: Car accident