Reviews tagging 'Torture'

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

29 reviews

my_plant_library's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious 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? Yes

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death of parent, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Torture and Rape

Minor: Drug use

sunflower_reads's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? No

4.5

Didn't want to stop reading!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Torture

Moderate: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, and Miscarriage

laurxndx's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Murder, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence

maekay's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

2.0

I found this book really underwhelming and the ending really disappointing. I felt like the plot

had so much unnecessary abuse, of both the children and the women/disabled father

and the ending

was super rushed and tied everything up in neat bow, despite the fact two of the children committed willful murder and the other two apparently conveniently forgot about the baby

. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child abuse, Child death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, and Violence

amcghig's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, and Toxic relationship

wormgirl's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, and Torture

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Pedophilia

Minor: Confinement, Toxic friendship, Rape, and Pregnancy

alexxm13's review against another edition

dark mysterious slow-paced

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

4.0

this book is a rollercoaster with all these characters and sometimes difficult to remember as so much is happening and goes back and forth between characters to timeline and can be confusing, also david who is 40 having the ding dong with two 14 year olds and making them pregnant disgusts me and this is why i hate men also with henry and phin i was cheering on with their relationship but then it turned out henry is obsessive and a creep with phin and just wanting to kill him as phin impregnated henry’s sister lucy and to give birth to libby. i feel bad for libby as she was just a baby in which all 4 children/teens abandoned to cover up the murder henry did to his parents and david by drugging them. what seemed like a cult/suicide mission turned out to be a murder by a 16 year old and help of other teens in the house after being trapped for 2 years. i thought it was a good story and twists and turns but the structure of it was too confusing for my to keep hold of.

lisa jewel another jem of a book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Murder, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Suicide, Torture, and Violence

shannonmarie's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Child death, Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, and Rape

Minor: Abortion

sadhbhdunne's review against another edition

dark hopeful mysterious reflective fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicide, Torture, and Toxic relationship