Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'

Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

124 reviews

telepathicnarwhal's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

2.75

An odd amount of sexualisation that wasn't really necessary for the story.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Violence, Drug use, Child abuse, Bullying, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Torture, Rape, Grief, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Child death, Vomit, Sexual content, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Incest, Alcoholism, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Cursing, Physical abuse, Animal cruelty, Addiction, Medical trauma, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual violence, Murder, Drug abuse, Body shaming, Toxic relationship, and Medical content

emilynied's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

4.0

This story is absolutely crazy and Flynn crafts an uncanny and eerie tone throughout the book which makes this story so captivating. The general mood of the novel is created from its characters, world and mysterious plot straight from the start. We have our protagonist, Camille Preaker, returning to her hometown of Wind Gap as a now big-city journalist covering a series of missing preteen girls and their consequent murders. She's a fractured character from the start, and as she gets caught up in the town and its inhabitants once more, her backstory is unraveled to reveal her own preteen sisters death decades ago and her history of self harm, which is grimly explored through the words she's carved into her body over the years. 

We also meet Camille's mother, who she impassively calls by her first name, Adora, and Camille's half-sister (also a preteen), Amma. As she is wrapped up in the psychological darkness of her family and their history once more, the plot thickens along with the mystery. The ending is shocking (like jaw-dropping dreadful) to say the least, and just when you think you've figured it out, Flynn hits you again with another bombshell. I watched the television show right after finishing the book and would also highly recommend. Both stories were gripping and I'm still thinking about their endings a week after finishing. I would, however, caution any readers - this book is extremely dark. Please check trigger warnings before reading!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Self harm, Physical abuse, Vomit, Grief, and Child death

kinic's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Torture, Self harm, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Violence, Vomit, Mental illness, Death, and Drug use

Moderate: Bullying, Alcohol, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, and Death

katmystery's review against another edition

challenging 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

3.5

This is the most disturbing book I have ever read. Gillian Flynn is a genius with suspense; I couldn't put it down even though it made me feel sick, kinda like an addictive poison. Every trigger warning under the sun.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Chronic illness, Domestic abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Blood, Body horror, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Murder, Child death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Self harm, Sexism, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Rape and Drug use

Minor: Eating disorder and Cancer

zerkleoflife's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.0

Gillian Flynn is a fantastic author. Every character was extremely complex. I took off a point because so many scenes made me really uncomfortable (in the ways the author intended). A lot of things were really shocking but still made sense to the characters. I sort of guessed the end because I understood the characters, not necessarily because it was super predictable. Definitely check the trigger warnings!!!

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Murder, Vomit, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Violence, Alcohol, and Grief

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Eating disorder, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Bullying, Cursing, Drug use, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, and Rape

feeling_myshelf's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Physical abuse, Gore, and Mental illness

joanne22rn's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Child death, Drug use, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Alcohol, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Vomit, and Violence

opal_scorpio's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

i felt like the plot slowed in the middle but i was definitely interested throughout. i couldn’t really put it down by the time i reached the last third of the book. the narrator isn’t perfect but you definitely felt bad for her and could understand why her judgment was clouded and she kept making poor decisions. 

i do feel like it took Camille too long to come to terms with her mother’s abuse when it was so overt to the reader. the twist of it being her sister at the end was really good though. i felt like it was done when her mother was arrested but i was completely shocked it was Amma and her friends who killed those two girls! i thought she was simple apathetic from her own trauma from their mother.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Violence, Alcoholism, Murder, Alcohol, and Self harm

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Vomit, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Addiction, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Body horror, Drug use, and Physical abuse

Minor: Animal death, Lesbophobia, Medical content, and Rape

z0tvzo's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective 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

3.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Drug abuse, Drug use, Self harm, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Cursing, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Blood, Medical trauma, Animal cruelty, Rape, Child death, Death, Medical content, and Chronic illness

0live_tr33'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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Rape, Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Fatphobia, Animal cruelty, Toxic friendship, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Self harm, Abandonment, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Vomit, Toxic relationship, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Racism, Murder, Mental illness, Grief, Gore, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Death, Chronic illness, Classism, Cursing, Child abuse, and Body shaming