Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Yours for the Taking by Gabrielle Korn

8 reviews

hflh's review

tense fast-paced

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

3.75

Ok. I really enjoyed this book, BUT I think it will disappoint a lot of readers. 

It’s simple and on-the-nose (buzzwords included), has flat characters with a tidy plot, and you have to suspend some disbelief. If you’re looking for a nuanced, in-depth critique on climate, gender, capitalism, and white feminism — you’ll be disappointed. 

BUT sometimes you need just want to turn off your brain and jump in and this did that for me. There are some really interesting and fucked up elements in this dystopian world that kept me engaged and

the cartoonishly evil billionaire

was a good laugh.

I’d encourage readers to go in blind, but the villain reads like a

bossbabe trying to build a paradise created by J.K. Rowling and a beige mom

.

NOTE: while there’s lots of queer rep, one of the blurbs on the book says it’s found family but I don’t think this will scratch your found family itch.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Kidnapping, Drug use, Pregnancy, Confinement, Death, Gaslighting, Transphobia, Vomit, and Classism

Minor: Alcohol, Ableism, Mental illness, Death of parent, Misogyny, and Sexual content

doxxing, forced pregnancy, overdose

k_shimer's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Pregnancy, Classism, Confinement, Gaslighting, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexism, and Sexual content

Moderate: Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Addiction, Infertility, Lesbophobia, Pandemic/Epidemic, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Alcohol, Blood, Cancer, Child death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Biphobia, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Racism, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, and War

lexyan's review

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

I was skeptical early on reading this, but I ended up really liking it. It's a good takedown of gender essentialism set on the backdrop of early apocalypse-level climate change. There's heavy use of dramatic irony that works really well to keep you invested in reading it. All of the POV characters are well-written, including the perfectly hateable villain. The ending is hopeful but a little unsatisfying, which sort of feels perfect for the story.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Gaslighting, Pregnancy, Confinement, Drug abuse, and Misogyny

Moderate: Sexual violence, Transphobia, Grief, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Rape

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Alcohol, Classism, Vomit, Child death, Pandemic/Epidemic, and War

mandi_lea's review

dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Classism, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Forced institutionalization, Abandonment, Death of parent, Sexual content, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Racism, Sexism, Pregnancy, Confinement, Drug abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Violence

pm_me_book_recs's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

This need to be on every #GirlBoss book shelf...

A lite scifi criticism of white femme power spaces, the danger of trans exclusion and generalization of gender, and how the future must be inclusive for humanity's survival. Dashes of romance, mystery, thriller, and corporate intrigue. The story switches perspectives between a handful of characters, each experiencing different facets of The Inside, over the time span between 2050-2078. There are some steamy sapphic moments, but mostly the romance element is slow burn.

It was refreshing to see a white author tackle these subjects with care, earnestness, and precision. This type of call-out should not always fall onto non-white, non-cis/het folks!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Transphobia, and Confinement

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Racism, Sexual content, Ableism, Mental illness, Eating disorder, and Grief

Minor: Alcohol, Death, and Suicidal thoughts

dykebakery's review

challenging 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? No

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Forced institutionalization, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Pregnancy, Confinement, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Grief, Suicide, and Medical trauma

wornpagesandendlesscoffey's review

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

Yours for the Taking takes sapphic novels and redefines them. I can imagine its characters asking 'Bechtel test? How primitive.' This book asks the question 'What if a white feminist is given supreme power and authority'- and the results are as disastrous and disturbing as you can imagine. In a world ravaged by climate change, a world destroyed by raging storms and too high temperatures, innovators create "Inside"; a safe zone for the select few financed by the world's billionaires. The story follows a group of women as they navigate this new world, the betrayals, love, and heartache they experience; and how dangerous a lack of intersectionality can be. This one is one to watch, and an important commentary on our social and personal dynamics in an ever changing world that never truly has our best interests at heart. A gripping narrative about power, race, and identity- and how even at the end of the world we divide and oppress each other. And what happens when we say enough is enough.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Racism, Slavery, Suicide, Death of parent, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Sexism, Ableism, Classism, Confinement, Cultural appropriation, Pregnancy, Rape, Transphobia, Addiction, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Drug use, Gaslighting, Medical trauma, Toxic relationship, Drug abuse, Colonisation, Emotional abuse, Grief, and Death

bootsmom3's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense fast-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? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Medical trauma, Death, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Medical content, Mental illness, and Transphobia

Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual content, Ableism, Pregnancy, and Suicidal thoughts

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic