Reviews tagging 'Mental illness'

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

107 reviews

akoyareads's review

2.5

dark emotional sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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This book didn’t read like a thriller, there was no thrill or suspense, just sadness and desperation for answers. I think that the plot being predictable was intentional. that Everyone told their side of events connecting all the pieces like a lifetime movie.

This book was so devastating I almost cried at the end when I read Ellie’s letter, because she was never given a chance.I had so much hope that she would return to her family even after her remains were found.

But Laurel was a horrible mother and her apology to Hanna felt so so shallow because we knew it truly meant nothing. She still thought that it should’ve been her that was taken, she still thought that Hanna wasn’t as beautiful as Ellie. And even tho I pity Hanna for having such a horrid mother I think dating my missing little sister’s bf is a bit trashy. One great lesson that needs to be learned is that there aren’t just horrible men out there, but women too. Women that will do vile things for the validation of men, those are the women you stay away from because they will go to the earths end for a crumb of 

male validation. 

There was no silver lining to the book just poppy being passed around from one sad shell to the next, and then both trauma dumping on her. You don’t tell her the actual truth about her mother but u tell her that the man that’s been raising her for all those years took his life because of guilt? That didn’t make sense to me.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Rape, Murder, Pregnancy

kmthorson2's review

3.75

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death

Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Medical content, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting

erinomaista's review

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy

bedwellbooks's review against another edition

5.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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This was a great read that told a chilling story. I did predict the ending, but I thought it was still a great book. I was sad for Elle the entire book and found myself gasping when I found out all of the things that happened to her. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infertility, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol

chapters_and_pages's review against another edition

4.0

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Lisa Jewell is honestly becoming one of my favourite authors!

Then She Was Gone follows Laurel, who’s 15 year old daughter, Ellie, went missing 10 years prior. Throughout the book, we learn about the events that lead up to Ellie’s disappearance, what happened during the 10 years Ellie was gone, Laurel’s discovery of what exactly happened to her daughter. 

I’ll be honest, I pretty much guessed the plot twists within about 100 pages, but that didn’t stop me from loving this book!

My heart broke for Laurel, Ellie and Poppy, as well as the rest of Ellie’s family, and reading a book like this, it reminds you that even those this is a fictional story, there are people out there who have gone through similar things, whether as a direct victim or a loved one of a victim. 

Even though I really enjoyed this book, it felt like a 4 star read for me for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I guessed the plot twists very early one. Secondly, Poppy was written quite unrealistically for a child of her age. I get what the author was trying to do, but it kind of missed the mark for me personally. Thirdly, while I really enjoyed this book, I didn’t enjoy it as much as some of her others. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Kidnapping, Grief

Moderate: Pregnancy

siinoa1's review

3.0

emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Mental illness, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment

katdid's review

3.5

dark mysterious sad 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: Complicated

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Such a dark story

and you can't help but be glad that Noelle ends up murdered(?) honestly. Ellie's death was so sad and wasteful!

From the three books of hers that I've now read Jewell never really sticks the landing imo -- she does plot-wise but not from a narrative/delivery point of view.

Like here I thought the Floyd chapters sucked if I'm honest and the final note from Ellie wasn't necessary.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Mental illness, Kidnapping, Pregnancy

Minor: Animal death, Physical abuse

jennacollier1512's review against another edition

5.0

dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Pregnancy

alymccaskill's review

5.0

dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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Easily one of my favorite books lately. At no point did I have a prediction for how something was going to pan out, which is exactly the kind of book I like to read. It’s painfully real and emotionally jarring. Lisa KNOWS how to write a villain the way real life does, like a regular person. You will go through all the stages of grief, yet love every minute of it. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Murder

crowray's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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i loved the twists in this book i hate when i can guess but a few of them really caught me by surprise. the characters felt fleshed out and human and the emotion and writing was brill. didn’t feel very tense apart from towards the end but that’s really the only thing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Mental illness, Sexual content, Terminal illness