Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry

37 reviews

nee_shelf's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Excrement, Gaslighting, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Moderate: Death of parent, Physical abuse, Blood, Death, Pregnancy, Vomit, Abandonment, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Miscarriage, Murder, and Violence

Minor: Sexual harassment, Confinement, and Panic attacks/disorders

alexandraloveee's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

2.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Self harm, Animal death, Mental illness, Medical content, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Vomit, Violence, Blood, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Bullying, Miscarriage, and Child abuse

bookdeviant86's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense

3.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Gaslighting, Infertility, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Grief, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Death, Murder, Toxic relationship, and Vomit

astralfeline's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Really enjoyed this book. It was disturbing in a way that I haven't seen in other books (though I haven't read a ton of thriller so idk if thats just my experience). Also listened to the audiobook as I read and the narrators did a great job. It definitely kept me engaged and I didn't want to put it down. I was a bit disappointed with the ending because it felt a little anti-climactic though, it felt like it didn't really have closure in the story it just sort of ended so Idk how to feel about it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Medical content, Excrement, Pregnancy, and Animal death

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Animal death, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Death, and Abandonment

Minor: Miscarriage, Drug abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Physical abuse, and Body horror

bekahzabel's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

The Perfect Child is told in alternating points of view. Focusing on a couple who’s struggled with infertility, a social worker assigned to a strange child abuse case, and a seemingly innocent mysterious child.  

All the Bauer’s ever wanted was a baby. When a mysterious young girl shows up at the hospital with terrible injuries, she wins over Christopher Bauer’s heart. The Bauer’s decide to take Janie into temporary foster care, with the intentions of helping her transition and adjust to a better life. As Janie’s behaviors and past begin to unfold, things seem to get darker at every turn and crossroads. 

Boy oh boy, things got pretty dark between these two covers. Very hefty child abuse and violence trigger warnings. 

For me, The Perfect Child had me white knuckling my kindle, and salivating for the next page. Even though I guessed some of the twists, this dark tale was a great read for me. My only qualm is how abruptly it wrapped up. 4/5 stars! 🌟

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Infertility, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Murder, Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Medical content, Death of parent, Violence, Vomit, Animal death, Self harm, Miscarriage, Death, and Medical trauma

samantha_sahm_reads's review against another edition

tense medium-paced

2.75

I knew the ending by 60 pages in

Also Christopher is the worst husband ever 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Miscarriage, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Medical content, and Animal death

twistykris's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

3.25

This is my first Dr. Lucinda Berry book and I am curious to read more, but if all of her books have a non-ending like this under the guise of a cliffhanger, then I don't know if they'll be a good fit for me.

A very disturbing book (PLEASE check the trigger warnings) filled with moments that made me recoil in horror and more that made me roll my eyes.

WHY ON EARTH would you get a cat for a seriously disturbed child who has PURPOSEFULLY injured her "friend", just because she's experiencing some jealousy over a new baby?? HUH???? And I'm sorry but,  y'all 

The ending left a lot to be desired. I can be content with a more open-ended, unconcluded ending; I am also okay with an unhappy ending. But give us ANY ending! This book genuinely feels like the last chapter was accidentally left out, or the author just gave up writing and published it.

What happened to Janie? Did the treatment facility help (I was fulling expecting for there to be some hint that she injured to killed the woman running it)? What happens to Piper and her job? Does Hannah ever find healing? Does she divorce Christopher because he is the WORST? (But seriously, HOW was this man so fucking oblivious and selfish and dismissive of Janie's problems???) What happens with Greg's lawsuit? There was some sort of hint about Piper's relationship with Christopher- was it she just had a crush on him or was there something more? That felt loose and not developed at all

There are just so many unanswered questions and the ending feels very unsatisfying and lazy.

There was zero character development and despite there being multiple POVs, there was no differentiation on who was speaking.. they were all written the same way. And the audiobook quality was just.. not good? The first narrator (the one for Piper) sounded too muffled and quiet, and the narrator for Christopher just annoyed me (only because of the character himself, not the narrator) and I just ended up reading the e-book for the majority.

Honestly, the more I think about Christopher, the more angry I get. 
I've dropped .5 more stars just writing this review.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Mental illness, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Child abuse

Moderate: Pregnancy, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical content, Gaslighting, Eating disorder, Confinement, Infertility, and Murder

Minor: Physical abuse and Vomit

gneumann's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

this was a really tough read. i should not have read this

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal cruelty, Confinement, Grief, Child abuse, Animal death, Death, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Medical content, Abandonment, and Excrement

Minor: Forced institutionalization, Vomit, Drug abuse, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Self harm, and Suicidal thoughts

luhchan's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Vomit, Mental illness, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Excrement, Blood, Gaslighting, and Medical content

sshpurple1's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Look up the trigger warning for this book.  This is a beautifully written, disturbing nightmare of a scenario—the chapters alternate points of view between Christoper, Hannah, and Piper. Christoper will frustrate you; Hannah will cause concern for everyone’s mental and physical safety, and Piper will make you want to rage against a broken system.

This is my first Lucinda Berry book; it will not be my last. Even as frustrating as the ending is, I highly recommend it.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Animal death, Child abuse, Medical content, Animal cruelty, Grief, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Gaslighting, Murder, Pregnancy, Death, and Infertility