Reviews tagging 'Pedophilia'

We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz

20 reviews

armin_web's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gore, Sexual assault, Murder, Child abuse, and Suicide

Minor: Pedophilia and Child abuse

lindsaybethlyons's review

adventurous tense medium-paced

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

3.25

The first part was slow for me. I struggle to read about persistent anxiety or depression. The second half was faster, and I enjoyed it.

I wished the plot didn’t including lying about sexual assault. With people already doubting women’s reporting of sexual assault, I’d prefer a different plot point there.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Pedophilia, Body horror, Gaslighting, Blood, Murder, Death of parent, Suicide, Car accident, and Child abuse

neliadiedenise's review

dark mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

Freakishly terryfying story. Straight out of life and sooooo normal at first. The book creeped me out as hell but that's exactly why I love it. Sooooo many twists. Wow, just wow. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Violence, Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Animal death, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Death, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, Mental illness, Death of parent, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Blood, Medical trauma, Suicide, Medical content, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Alcohol, Violence, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, and Stalking

blueyogi's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Death, Toxic friendship, Murder, Mental illness, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Child death, Suicide, Sexual violence, and Stalking

Minor: Vomit, Animal death, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Pedophilia, Cancer, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Car accident

abicaro17's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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

4.0

This book is nuts!! I still haven't fully processed it yet but good lord. The whole dynamic between Emily and Kristen is so well crafted because, like a toxic relationship, the warning signs aren't as red until you look at them under a microscope. I still have questions but I think thats why the book ends this way. It leaves you wondering whether Kristen really did it or whether Emily is just a violent compulsive liar. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Alcohol, Animal death, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Body horror, Drug use, Toxic relationship, Violence, Car accident, Deportation, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicide, Death of parent, Cursing, Grief, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Cancer, Medical content, and Stalking

sweetordinary's review

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.0

If you are looking for an intense, challenging, and cynical story that centers around a dangerous cycle of behaviors and broken boundaries within friendships first and romantic relationships second, this book deserves a chance.

It's a fast pace book that centers around the struggle of identifying toxic relationships and breaking out of them. I found it difficult to fully understand and accept the dynamic between the two main characters from the first chapter. With that said, the book had a nice quick (yet, steady) pace that challenged me as a reader to understand Emily's - the main character's - perception of her relationships and how one in an extremely toxic relationship navigates the world.

A big issue I had with the storyline falls in the last handful of chapters. The final fifteen to ten chapter the speed of the story quickens heightening the tension and stress to align with the characters' experiences. In the final handful of chapters, the speed goes beyond helping to create and maintain tension and stress to match the mood of the plot. It wraps in a mess of non-closure and a glimpse into a cycle of behavior in relationships.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Blood, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Toxic friendship, Violence, Murder, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Violence, and Blood

Minor: Pedophilia, Domestic abuse, Violence, and Toxic relationship

kathkaf's review

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Murder, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, and Stalking

Minor: Pedophilia

sofiajearally's review

dark mysterious tense fast-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

3.75

I was pleasantly surprised with this book! I had heard some disappointed reviews but had already bought it so I thought I'd give it a try anyway and I ended up having lots of fun reading it.

First off, it's a real page-turner, with a fast pace and a good balance between the action and the more reflective moments - almost nothing was unnecessary or too long. The fact that the chapters were short helped too. What I think really made it work is the author's ability to maintain suspense and tension all throughout the story, and to engage the reader as to make us feel the doubts of the main character and to doubt the main character herself. There were lots of plot-twists, none of which I saw coming. However, I don't read much thrillers, so they might be foreseeable for people who are more into this genre.

What disappointed me though was the ending: I felt it was rushed and not explained enough, everything too neatly tied up in a bow, almost deus ex machina. A few elements remained unanswered like

what was Nana trying to say to Emily all these times?

. The secondary characters, especially Aaron, lacked depth, flaws and a backstory. As for the writing style, I can't really pronounce myself because I read a translated version but, even though it was efficient, I feel like some stylistic devices were a hit-or-miss.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Murder, Blood, Physical abuse, Animal death, Sexual assault, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Gaslighting, Child death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Car accident, and Stalking

Minor: Alcohol, Stalking, Incest, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

laurataylor's review

adventurous dark tense 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Car accident, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, Pedophilia, Animal death, Alcohol, Sexism, Fire/Fire injury, Bullying, Drug use, Child death, Cursing, Death of parent, Medical content, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, and Violence

melissa_b_67's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Bullying, Gaslighting, Murder, Death, Vomit, Stalking, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Suicide, Pedophilia, and Alcohol