Reviews tagging 'Incest'

None of This Is True by Lisa Jewell

99 reviews

rose_reads_at_dusk's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

everuth91's review against another edition

challenging 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Death, Eating disorder, Gore, Incest, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, and Grief

jenniferpalmblad's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, and Murder

kittykatkatboom's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Murder

Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, and Mental illness

danigraham's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Rape, and Murder

Moderate: Mental illness, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, and Stalking

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Pandemic/Epidemic

amirahazhar's review against another edition

4.0

Would have given this a 5 if not for the vague ending.

TW: pedophilia, grooming and rape.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, Pedophilia, Rape, Torture, Blood, Stalking, and Injury/Injury detail

sizzlesteaks's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Incest, Infidelity, Mental illness, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Pandemic/Epidemic

kayraine's review against another edition

tense medium-paced

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

1.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Incest

dusktreader's review against another edition

challenging dark sad 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

Jewell does a good job of creating tension and twists and in that way it’s a well-crafted book. I found it compelling and wanted to keep reading and found some of the ambiguity and questions the book were really interesting to think about, like

who really killed Brooke and why, and who knew what about it. The audio narration and production was really engaging. 

I had a lot of trouble with the position the book put me in as a reader where

we are set up to question whether Josie was groomed by an older man and whether it was not his fault after all if she made advances at him. It’s already so disgustingly common for people to doubt and question survivors of abuse, and look for ways that even children must have done something to deserve it, and just write it off. I was so uncomfortable being put in that position.

 

I think Jewell could have created the same experience for readers of a character who is either trapped and desperate or an evil mastermind or somewhere in between without leaning on common misconceptions about abuse, or by subverting them instead of conforming to them, which I think is a real missed opportunity and could have been a much stronger book. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

monicadee88's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

4.5

I've seen a lot of reviews say this book is a riveting, compulsive read and I have to agree! Despite the depravity and tension, I could hardly stand to be away from the story. Jewell masterfully unfolded the narrative with two POVs, building suspense and making the reader question everything. The final 15% or so fell flat though, and while I appreciate Jewell not pandering to the audience with a cliche'd ending, I would have preferred a more definite closing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Mental illness, and Pedophilia

Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Incest