Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan

122 reviews

nikireadsstuff's review

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Body shaming, Sexual violence, Self harm, and Physical abuse

lindsaybennett's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

4.0

Really well written book, i found it very poetic. Pretty dark, definitely check out the trigger warnings before reading. I liked the style of writing and the nuggets if profound wisdom throughout the book. It almost felt like i was reading a real person's journal, not a fictional novel. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Sexual content, Mental illness, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Gaslighting

ti_vraga's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

 

A poetic read steeped in self-loathing and the desire for the right kind of love.

This novel was almost hard to read. Not because it was bad- it was great. But because I was able to identify with so many aspects of the self-centered, unnamed main character. It wasn’t a pleasant realization. It felt raw, the way a healing scrape seems to always brush up against things, getting re-opened again and again. 

Megan Nolan navigates the character’s identity-lessness in a way that brought to the surface thoughts and emotions I’d thought long buried. As a woman in her early 30’s, my identity isn’t as ephemeral as it was when I was the age of the narrator, somewhere in her mid-20s. But I quickly remembered how it felt to be unattached, shapeless, to be willing to fit into whatever mold you needed to in order to make someone love you. 

My favorite line of the book is “...I was in love and so I was insane…” I’d like to think such a line is a universal truth to some degree. I have certainly felt that way in the throes of love’s infancy. The obsession of it. The inability to do much else but think of the object of your heart’s desire. To feel useless if you’re not of use.

Read this book for its potency. For its blunt honesty. For its insanity.

Content warning: r*pe

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Rape, Eating disorder, Infidelity, Alcoholism, Self harm, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

venti's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

narrator should have murdered ciaran. she was in love with lisa 🏃🏻‍♀️🤷‍♀️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Misogyny, Rape, Mental illness, Self harm, and Body shaming

Moderate: Grief and Gaslighting

Minor: Suicidal thoughts

nikylela's review against another edition

dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Body shaming, Dysphoria, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Eating disorder

saintsramz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.0

i hate them. ugly ass relationship. could neva be me. they need therapists. I will say though i love the way love is spoken about very very interesting for someone like me who thought they could never be worthy of love. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Violence, Physical abuse, Gaslighting, Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, Rape, Domestic abuse, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity

my girlfriend made me read this… and like i don’t even know this lady’s name but i hate her. good for her though.

h_gordon's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Alcoholism

jaiari12's review against another edition

dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexism, Sexual content, Blood, Infidelity, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Alcoholism, Drug use, Eating disorder, and Toxic relationship

v7738v773's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

2.0

I thought I’d like this book more than I did. The brutal honesty und accuracy with which the author describes the protagonist’s emotions and behaviors were intriguing, but I just didn’t feel good reading this book. It was hard to get into at first and the last third just made me feel dragged down. I didn’t really want to continue reading but did so for the sake of finishing the book. Maybe more fitting for someone else, as I just didn’t feel connected to the main character, especially towards the end. I found it too dark and just couldn’t relate to the overall mindset. Reading this book felt like a toxic and abusive experience with an ending that was neither conclusive nor developed enough for me. Wouldn’t read again and wouldn’t really recommend to a friend. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Toxic relationship, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Infidelity, Sexual assault, Gaslighting, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Violence, Fatphobia, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Sexism

Minor: Abandonment, Drug abuse, and Drug use

sallyrooneystan's review against another edition

challenging dark reflective sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Infidelity, Eating disorder, and Sexual assault