Reviews tagging 'Domestic abuse'

Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter

80 reviews

stephnew's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Blood, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Violence, Suicide, Gore, and Gun violence

bookmuva's review against another edition

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious sad tense slow-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? It's complicated

4.25

I put this book down for months around chapter seven, but once I picked it back up I was hooked. Although it was a bit predictable, there were definitely twists and points caught me off guard. Picked up two more books by the author in hopes they’re similar! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Excrement, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Murder, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Violence, Blood, Sexual violence, Rape, Death, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Grief, Sexism, Torture, Confinement, and Toxic relationship

daydaybookbay's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

3.25

I rated this book a 6.5 out of 10. The descriptions of torture get to be a bit much at times. I guessed the big twists, but I enjoyed the storyline and the small reveals. The torture content makes me question if I would read it again.

I do not recommend this book if you are triggered at all by: abuse. child abduction, drug abuse, gore, gun violence, murder, parent death, pedophilia, rape, sexual assult, suicide, torture. 

Please be aware that all of these topics and more are focused on at one point or another in this novel.

The characters are well developed and rounded. As a reader, you become invested in both the main characters as well as other characters (the father Sam, and Julia). I felt the pacing was steady and gave the perfect amount of time for buildup and resolution. Slaughter's storytelling is amazing.

Back to this trigger warnings bit. At some point, is this graphic torture for shock value? Kidnapping, torture, rape, and murder of teenagers... I almost stopped reading it. I can see it happening as I'm reading, so to have someone described as being raped by a machete... or the urine waterboarding. nope. Not my thing. Just the ongoing shock-value events in the second half are what knocked the rating down a bit.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual assault, Emotional abuse, Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Torture, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Physical abuse, Rape, Alcohol, Sexual violence, and Violence

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Fire/Fire injury, Alcoholism, Gaslighting, Addiction, Alcohol, Emotional abuse, and Infidelity

Minor: Trafficking, Stalking, Classism, Car accident, Cursing, Animal death, Panic attacks/disorders, Domestic abuse, and Infidelity

amandareads666's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Sexual assault, Violence, Rape, Physical abuse, Fatphobia, Drug abuse, Murder, Stalking, Sexual violence, Death, Body shaming, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Torture, Suicide, Drug use, Domestic abuse, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Body horror, Blood, Emotional abuse, Child death, and Car accident

ssyme's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Violence, Torture, Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Death, and Death of parent

Moderate: Blood, Grief, Sexual content, Fire/Fire injury, Rape, Addiction, Excrement, and Gaslighting

heyitsem_'s review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Blood, Body horror, Car accident, Child abuse, Drug use, Gore, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Addiction, Death, Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, and Domestic abuse

mirrorchaser's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional tense medium-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

4.0

This was a really complicated read, it was difficult to read... but difficult like a train wreck, you just couldn't look away. I'm not going to lie, most of the twists got me (which is really unusual for me in thrillers!) I had no idea who to trust or what to expect. You know all of these many parts are loosely related but you have no idea exactly how until the very end. 

I will warn readers that this is about as close to splatterpunk as a mainstream thriller can go before it tips genres. I would not read this book if you have pretty much any triggers at all. This book is disturbing and really stays with you. It makes you distrustful. Consider your mental health first when you decide to read this.

I would go further into detail, but other reviews have already done a great job summarizing!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Excrement, Infidelity, Body horror, Physical abuse, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Murder, and Torture

Moderate: Drug use, Grief, and Fire/Fire injury

Minor: Body shaming, Gaslighting, Car accident, Confinement, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Stalking, and Addiction

mkenziewilson1218's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Addiction, Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Rape, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Body horror, Suicide, Violence, Gore, and Sexual assault

hugsy85's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-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

One of the most challenging books I have ever read. Be sure to read the trigger/content warnings before going into it as the content is incredibly graphic. Karin Slaughter is definitely one of my favorite writers and her ability to pull together this story ... It was heavy, descriptive to the point where you could visualize each aspect and feel like you were there in the moment - it was unnerving. I honestly don't know how I finished this one and will need to follow through with a lighter read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Murder, Misogyny, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexism, Pedophilia, Stalking, Blood, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Excrement, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Violence, Rape, and Grief

Moderate: Drug abuse, Trafficking, Drug use, Fatphobia, Addiction, Car accident, and Cursing

Minor: Animal cruelty

ldjenkins's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

The plot is great, a good story that at points was unexpected. I don't tend to read reviews too much before reading a book but I wish I had this time. The writing is DARK and GRUESOME and GRAPHIC. If you have even a little bit of an aversion to any of the TW you see, I would suggest maybe passing in this book. Thrillers/mysteries are books I enjoy the most but this felt like horror a bit as well because of the descriptions. Again, good story, but if you think the descriptions are bad, they will only get worse. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Death, Murder, Physical abuse, Violence, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Addiction, Body horror, Domestic abuse, Car accident, Torture, and Suicide