Reviews with content warning for Body shaming - This is Where We Talk Things Out

This is insane. Very disturbing mother daughter relationship, I just wish it was a bit more creepy earlier in the book, it kind of ramped up very quickly but very easy read, quick enough for one sitting.

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arstanley90's review against another edition

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dark tense fast-paced

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

2.5

I was surprised at how short the book was. I was hoping for something a little bit longer than 92 pages but the story pretty much starts from the word go and drives very quickly to its climax. As someone who doesn't have a good relationship with their mother this book hit very close to home but my main issue of the story is the lack of common sense of our protagonist, Miller. She gives her mother all the power in setting up this mother-daughter trip and does nothing to ensure others known where this trip is going to be at in the first place. At least get the Find My Phone app, Mills.

Also I thought maybe the Mom, Slyvie was going to act as if she also had Alzheimer's, like her late husband, in order to garner sympathy from Miller and lure Miller into a false sense of security before revealing the trap her daughter was in, but no, Sylvie is just letting her crazy show. Not a fan of the ending either because I wanted Miller to make it out of there instead of crashing the truck and being held captive. It just feels like the book isn't finished

. I will say that I do like the constant tension and release of the conversation with mother and daughter. You can tell Miller has learned to stand up for herself and knows her mom's tricks when it comes to manipulation. Also the levels of dread that Sylvie made me feel was great. 2.5 out of 5 mostly due to the shortness of the book and the ending.

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grimdark_dad's review

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challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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? Yes

4.0

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poisoned_icecream's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Miller is planning to marry her fiancée Florence. She has had to distance herself from her abusive mother, Sylvie. Unfortunately, Sylvie tracks Miller down and manages to persuade her to spend a weekend with her in a secluded cabin. Just like everything else I've read by Caitlin Marceau, this made me feel so much dread and fear each time I turned the page. Anyone who's ever had to grow up with a cruel and manipulative parent will relate to the events in this novella.

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