Reviews tagging 'Abandonment'

Acts of Desperation by Megan Nolan

14 reviews

cecereads__'s review against another edition

4.25

Intense is the first word that comes to mind to describe this book. It’s hauntingly confronting and matter-of-fact almost in its portrayal of a toxic relationship. How obsessive, toxic, desperate and altering an experience the main character goes through.
I think it’s very well done how we get insights on her past and way of reasoning with herself. Especially, there’s a scene near the end of the book that I will be haunted by for a while.
- I found it difficult to rate this tbh, but my rating is based on the story-telling and brutal honesty of it rather than the connection to the characters (not that they have to be likeable), if that makes sense

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Rape, Self harm, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

marieantoinette's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Self harm, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Abandonment

Minor: Self harm

ashpociadlo's review

dark emotional sad 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship

Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Abandonment, and Alcohol

owlribbon's review

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Abandonment and Alcohol

eralbesu's review

challenging dark emotional reflective sad 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

If this were autobiographical I’d say it’s an extremely brave piece of work, because ~whew~ Acts of Desperation was quite precisely named. 

This reads as a confessional from our main character about her obsessions with love and sex and her volatile relationship with her body and her compulsion to punish it. 

There were many parts that were difficult for me to read and plenty of parts where I had to step away because of my embarrassment with the our main character’s sheer honesty about her actions and her intentions. 

Not sure I could recommend it, as the trigger warnings are plentiful, but I’m happy I read it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Body horror, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Fatphobia and Abandonment

corina28's review

dark emotional reflective sad 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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Cursing, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Grief, Gaslighting, and Dysphoria

Moderate: Abandonment

epiphyte's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.25

Brutal and ridden with shame. I loved it, it brought me closer to my own sources of shame and sparked my curiosity about them. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment

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

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

Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Abandonment

lauraegan's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I have never read a book as visceral and heartbreaking as this. Any earlier in my recovery and I couldn't have finished it, yet it still had me grimacing on the bus at my pain and hers. It felt so exposing and gratifying at once to see the feminine experience spelled out like this. The characters motives and mannerisms matched icons of my own life, and I felt shame for finding my own self-hatred in hers. When you're ready to face your relationships with yourself and others this is it, but read with caution as it may bring up some very hard feelings about sex and relationships. Whenever I need a wake up call about how I used to carry myself and still sometimes do this book is where I will always return.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

booksconcafe's review

dark reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment