Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Come Closer by Sara Gran

12 reviews

a_leo_reading's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Extremely well written and thought out.  But the racing felt off, and the finale was not as satisfying as the lead up. ALL of the character , including the demon, we insufferable humans to read about. But damn was it not effectivel  terrifying. Full review eventually .

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Dysphoria, Gaslighting, Infidelity, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Misogyny, Sexual content, Blood, Bullying, Alcoholism, Animal death, and Classism

dinwarden's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Violence, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Vomit

blep's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

That was so good. 
The writing style at first made me think I wasn't going to like this book but Jesus Christ does it pick up.
I could write an essay on the writing of this book. My only gripe was starting out but other than that holy shit

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, Torture, and Sexual content

Minor: Vomit

smolfem's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Drug abuse, Alcohol, Blood, Addiction, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, and Cursing

Minor: Vomit

frekdal's review against another edition

dark fast-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

2.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, Animal cruelty, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Abandonment, Death of parent, Infidelity, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Animal death, Body horror, Death, Blood, Gore, and Murder

katiebella_reads's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

5⭐️
Amazing.  Utterly, horrifically, amazing.

A slow decent into madness........ or possession. Her husband Edward and those closest to her can't see it. Strange occurrences are written of as coincidence. Minor violent outbreaks are chalked up to stress. Somthing is going on..... dogs and small kids always know. They can't be wrong, can they?

I greatly respected the use of biblical references towards the "demon." It shows the care and research the author used when writing. Every word in this book was thought out and well placed. As a Christian, the whole thing scared me. How easily the "demon" took over. How the little clues go unnoticed and, if are noticed, are chalked up to everyday happenstance. It isn't until the entity fully took hold that the woman even noticed, and even then those closest to her dont. A gripping read in every sense of the word.

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Violence, Child abuse, Confinement, Gaslighting, Death, and Murder

cursivewolf's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

3.0

A quick descent into possession gone on too far. Hopeless and suffocating.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Child abuse, Murder, Infidelity, Blood, Death, and Gaslighting

islesbiyana's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad tense slow-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

3.5

“We could devote our lives to making sense of the odd, the inexplicable, the coincidental, but most of us don’t. And neither did I.”

Overall Rating — 3.5 stars ★★★☆☆

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Death, Addiction, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Gore, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Body horror

Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, and Gaslighting

Minor: Vomit, Misogyny, Fatphobia, Homophobia, and Body shaming

chloseencounter's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-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

I quite enjoyed this short little read. It was a take on demonic possession I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced before, a very realistic downfall of questioning your own sanity and the feelings of losing control. I liked the interactions with the main character and the demon, the false sense of security the demon created for her while she was vulnerable truly manipulating her to the let the demon in. 

I really enjoyed the parts where I wasn’t even sure if they actually happened, like the doctors visits that only made the possession take more of a hold and when our main character (can you tell I can’t remember her name, I think it was Amanda) would run into other people who seemed to have demonic energy within them. I also thought the freakiest part was the sad excuse for an exorcism and the description of the demon just kind of skittering around in the darkness of her mind’s safe space.

Overall this was a solid, short, spooky read perfect for my Halloween/Fall TBR. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness and Murder

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Violence, Vomit, and Medical trauma

Minor: Emotional abuse, Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Cursing, and Death of parent

kcraig73's review against another edition

dark tense fast-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

5.0

Absolutely thrilling. This book genuinely scared me. The fast paced spiral into complete insanity, along with the insidious and beautiful nature of Amanda’s possession is completely captivating. This book grabbed me by the throat from the first page and it still hasn’t let go. I absolutely loved it. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Blood, Death, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Infidelity, Rape, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Kidnapping