Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland

35 reviews

bloomingrose92's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.75

While horror isn't really my thing, this book was incredibly well written. I particularly liked the descriptions that Sutherland gave. They provided a strong sense of rotting darkness throughout the book with novel phrases I'd never heard before.

And the twist of them not be chased by something that hides in the dark, but being the thing that hides in the dark was excellent. That they killed the three little Hollow girls, stole their bodies, then left them, unburied, as they took over the Hollow sisters' lives. I especially liked the line that Grey called out to the Hollow sisters for help, and they listened, because Grey was a little girl too. And the masked killer haunting them is actually the Hollow's father, coerced by their unholy magic to suicide, and refusing to pass on so that he can finally bring down his children's killers? Chef's kiss. I loved the detail of him finding his children's discarded bodies in the Halfway place, and making graves for them to finally rest. I have a particular fondness for protagonists putting everything they have into fighting a big bad, just to find out that they were the bad they were fighting. And the characterization of our protagonist in this book as a mousy bookworm who just wants to escape the weirdness of her past adds to the twist.

A well-written book, with unlikeable characters that only adds to the ultimate payoff.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Torture, Biphobia, Blood, Body horror, Grief, Infidelity, Medical content, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gore, Murder, Self harm, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Cursing, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault

ka_ke's review

adventurous dark fast-paced

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

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Abandonment, Blood, Cursing, and Mental illness

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Gun violence, and Medical content

pryingblackbird's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Child death, Gaslighting, Sexual assault, and Violence

Minor: Suicide

tessvosper's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Stalking, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Grief, Death, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Gore, Suicide, Violence, Gaslighting, and Child death

Moderate: Addiction, Alcohol, Rape, and Alcoholism

historyoftape's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Read this book in two connecting flights on my way to England, it had me gripped. The mood is very specific, it's like it's all happening behind a windowpane and yet you can't look away as the story unfolds. None of the characters feel flat, even the ones that dont immediately have clear motives or stories.

I liked that that the supicions built are all true, but that the truth is even more gory & complex than imagined.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, and Death

Moderate: Blood, Death of parent, Mental illness, Gaslighting, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide, and Toxic relationship

cecinamo's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Wow, this was an absolutely fascinating and spooky book. It’s full of twist and turns, that you can’t even beginn to predict. It is so hard to put down, the story completely encases you, pulling you further into it‘s dark and rotting depths. 

Alsoo there is sapphic rep!!!! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Bullying, Child death, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Murder, Rape, Sexual assault, Stalking, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Vomit

Moderate: Drug use, Alcoholism, Fire/Fire injury, Addiction, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, Gun violence, and Pedophilia

mary_stormageddon's review

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

4.75

I'm going to be thinking about this one for a long time. What a devastating ending! 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Vomit, Alcohol, Blood, Child death, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Body horror, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, and Suicide

hayleythegoose's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Sexism, Violence, Animal death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Sexual harassment, Vomit, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Death, Gore, Alcoholism, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Stalking, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, and Misogyny

Moderate: Cursing and Bullying

Minor: Self harm

luckylulureads's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Body horror, Gaslighting, and Suicide

Minor: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, and Alcoholism

giulianalb99's review against another edition

challenging dark funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child death, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Medical trauma, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Vomit, Rape, Self harm, Physical abuse, Sexism, Toxic relationship, Violence, Addiction, Blood, Drug use, Medical content, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Gaslighting, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Mental illness, and Suicide attempt

Minor: Cursing and Schizophrenia/Psychosis