Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Spectacular by Fiona Davis

6 reviews

silverhill's review

emotional hopeful mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Chronic illness, and Death

Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Toxic relationship, Murder, Grief, Terminal illness, Dementia, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Gore, and Mental illness

Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Car accident

imstephtacular's review

adventurous emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Loveable characters? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexism, Mental illness, Death of parent, and Medical content

Moderate: Car accident, Violence, Blood, Emotional abuse, Ableism, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Alcohol, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, and Grief

Minor: Abandonment, Eating disorder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Murder, Gaslighting, and Vomit

luverbyrd's review

emotional inspiring lighthearted mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

I've heard that there was a "Big Apple Bomber", but never really the details. Davis does sum up what she took creative liberty on versus the historical truth in her author note, which I appreciated. The changes she made though breathes a new story to get you interested in the past.
This book was emotional and gripping plus an added entertainment spice delving into the Rockette world of the 50's.
I don't want to say much more because I went in knowing very little and was fully immersed in the characters and events.
"Spectacular" read!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Gaslighting, Chronic illness, and Grief

historianvik's review

mysterious medium-paced

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

3.0

Interesting plot but overall nothing too special. Some characters were fuller and better written than others. The way the mc spoke seemed too modern which threw me off.  I liked the book and the ending but its not one i would buy for myself or reread.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Murder, and Gaslighting

cc_shelflove's review against another edition

hopeful informative inspiring tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Child death, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Grief, Violence, Terminal illness, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Blood

Moderate: Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Alcohol, and Chronic illness

Minor: Confinement, Car accident, Dementia, Forced institutionalization, and Gaslighting

delz's review

adventurous informative mysterious sad medium-paced

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

4.0

The Spectacular takes on a lot. Marion is 19 years old and she loves to dance, unfortunately her widower father, Simon is old fashioned in the extreme and he has chosen her future husband,  Nathaniel and what the rest of her life will look like. Marion has a mind of her own though so she auditions for the Rockettes and gets in. Simon is furious deciding to throw Marion out, but she thrives because of course the stage is where she’s meant to be. There’s more though because there was a serial bomber who planted bombs over a 16 year period, bombing Radio City Music Hall. Marion meets Peter, a doctor doing his internship at a psychiatric hospital and that leads to them sleuthing to find the mystery bomber, because Peter can profile him. There  was also a discrepancy over Marion’s mother’s death and some forays into genetics like what is inherited, because Peter is a doctor. This story was good, but felt weighed down with too much content. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse and Misogyny

Moderate: Death and Death of parent

Minor: Gaslighting