Reviews tagging 'Child abuse'

Gerald's Game by Stephen King

75 reviews

novellearts's review against another edition

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

2.0

I made the mistake of forgetting that StoryGraph has content warnings before starting this book. Had I known that this book dealt with pedophilia and incestual rape, I wouldn't have chosen this. Took away from my enjoyment of the book and ultimately just wasn't my cup of tea as that's not something I care to read about. Had it not included these things, my rating would've been different.
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davehershey's review against another edition

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dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? No

2.0

This was the most difficult book of King’s for me to read. It’s not my least favorite, though it is closer to the bottom than the top. Only 332 pages but it felt like way more. I just couldn’t handle Jessie recalling her experience of abuse at the hands of her father. It was stomach-churning in a way no other King book has been for me. 

That aside, this really could have been a short story. The last forty pages or so, when we learn that Jessie was not imagining a person in the house with her but rather he was really there, fell flat for me. It would have been better to keep the focus on her own psychological terror. Still a good read, but not a great one.
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carolinemoira's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced

3.0

I’ve seen the movie (a few years ago), so I was prepared for a lot of the grisly parts… but there’s one graphic storyline that I wasn’t prepared for. Read this with caution. 
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matxoni's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

4.0

potser ben mirat seria més aviat un 3,5 si he de valorar l'història en net però m'ha sorprès tant que no puc posar-li menys que això. buscava un llibre que em fes passar por i n'he passat, però el que més m'ha impressionat és el relat que fa d'aquesta por; la forma en què t'acompanya l'angoixa, la tensió i la desesperació pero també l'alleujament i la tranquil·litat final. tot això comptant que l'argument durant bona part de la novel·la es basa en el fet que la protagonista es troba lligada a un llit. aquest senyor sap el que fa.
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theimposter's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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? Yes

4.0

This book is a beautiful and traumatizing expression of trauma (sexual trauma specifically) and of the mind’s internal family system which Stephen King writes so accurately and in such a personifying way. It was also the most triggering book I’ve ever read and I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone who is triggered by sexual abuse/rape or anyone who doesn’t want to read gore and body horror. 
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kreglow's review against another edition

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dark emotional sad tense slow-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

3.25

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violetturtledove's review

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challenging dark tense slow-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

4.5

If I saw a premise like this from any other author I'd probably pass. It sounds tediously grim, but as usual King manages to bring his own fascinating touch to it. It's still a very uncomfortable read, but in a gripping, tense way, and the ending is a killer. 
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ansatejones's review against another edition

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challenging dark reflective tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

She should have adopted the damn dog at the end.
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bookishchaos's review against another edition

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

3.0

Great idea but not great execution. Considering this is a fairly short story, nothing really happened other then flashbacks and subplots. The beginning was very rushed then the middle was EXTREMELY slow. Instead of random flashbacks, we should've learned more about Jessie's past in the beginning and have us readers slowly learn how truly evil her husband was. Stephen King has some way better books to be read, I wouldn't recommend this one.
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squigleyline's review against another edition

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2.5

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