Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera

78 reviews

chezler24's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

"The truth doesn't matter." (p. 325)

In this age of true crime podcasts and TV show dramas centered around real, gruesome events, Tintera has crafted an interesting new angle within this genre. The book takes place 5 years after Savvy (Savannah) had been murdered in Plumpton Texas. The main character, Lucy, has been living with everyone assuming she had been responsible for her friend's death; however, she has no memories from that night. Throughout the book, we see Lucy wrestle with her fragmented memory and poor reputation as a podcaster, Ben Owens, begins prying open the cold case to see if Lucy really did it or if someone else was to blame. 

I enjoyed the novel's format and how it switched back and forth between Lucy's internal monologue and transcripts from the Listen for the Lie podcast. The book had a rough start for me, but I was hooked once we got the ball rolling with the true crime element, and I was immersed in our screwed-up little cast of characters. (I do mean that. Most everyone here has some element of unlikability whether it's from their sarcastic demeanor or from the hurtful, damaging things they've done.) The amnesia element is not going to work for everyone, but I did enjoy how Tintera decided to "trigger" the memories. Regarding this element, I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome and mostly content with how things turned out.  

(The real MVP was Grandma Beverly. She might be my favorite side character out of the bunch.)

(Rating probably around the 3.5-3.75 range)

(Advanced Reading Copy)

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Infidelity, Murder, Blood, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Violence, and Toxic relationship

jess_xen's review

dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

After ungluing myself from the pages and untangling myself from this web of mysteries, I can finally write this review. I could not put this book down. 

Listen for the Lie is a brilliant and gripping combination of a podcast & a whodunit novel. Lucy, long suspected of her best friend’s murder in her small Texas hometown, is the subject of a true crime podcast 5 years after the murder. No suspects have been arrested, and Lucy can’t remember a thing about that night, adding to the town’s suspicions of her guilt. Preferring obscurity, Lucy moved away to start a new life in LA, only to be forced to return to her hometown to confront her dark past.

From the very beginning, the pacing, voice, and perfectly articulated emotions had me in a chokehold. I was hooked; there were so many questions that I needed answers to. Amy Tintera is a master at weaving together a tale that feels like wandering through an ill-lit hedge maze, always thinking that around the next corner all the secrets will yield themselves, only to be confronted with a new path in a new direction.  

I was completely invested in the true crime podcast, Lucy’s sarcastic behavior towards those who distrusted her, and the small-town vibe complete with quintessential small-town gossip emanating throughout. I was squealing by the time the conclusion came satisfyingly to a close. 

I wish I could speak more on some of the elements of the novel that I really appreciated, as they were depicted perfectly and poignantly, but I would prefer to keep this review spoiler-free for now. Suffice to say, the author does a fantastic job of showing interpersonal relationships, the good and the ugly. 

Some caveats: this was definitely chick lit-y and millennial-coded; I personally loved those aspects and it added to the overall story to me, but I can understand if those could be a drawback for some. 

Listen for the Lie is Amy Tintera’s adult debut, and I’m excited to read more of her work in the future, as this was everything I could want out of a whodunit novel. 

A sincere thank you to NetGalley, Celadon Books & Amy Tintera for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Listen for the Lie will be published March 5, 2024.  

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, and Violence

emetrock's review

dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Blood, Alcohol, Domestic abuse, and Sexual content

Minor: Sexual assault

maggieparedesauthor's review

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Death, Grief, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Domestic abuse, Violence, Blood, Sexual content, Infidelity, and Toxic relationship

sarahyjackson's review

dark funny 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? It's complicated

5.0

Dark humor thriller confection - devoured in 48 hours. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Domestic abuse, and Sexual content

Moderate: Sexual assault

danibeliveau's review

dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

If you like messy small-town drama and true crime podcasts, you will love this book. A fast-paced and entertaining read, though the big-name blurbs on the cover are a little too effusive.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Blood, Gaslighting, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Death, Infidelity, Addiction, Violence, Alcohol, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Sexism, and Toxic relationship

kayceeisbookish's review

dark emotional funny mysterious reflective tense slow-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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Cursing, Addiction, Alcohol, Grief, Sexual violence, Vomit, Bullying, Violence, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment

ktdakotareads's review against another edition

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Emotional abuse, Blood, Death, and Grief