Reviews tagging 'Stalking'

Where Sleeping Girls Lie by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

3 reviews

ghostlyprince's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Child death, Death, Bullying, Gaslighting, Grief, and Rape

Moderate: Addiction, Sexism, Stalking, Death of parent, Dementia, Drug abuse, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Confinement, Child abuse, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Classism, Drug use, Suicide, Emotional abuse, and Misogyny

Minor: Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Body shaming, Lesbophobia, Animal death, and Physical abuse

There's a scene where a pet hamster needs to go the hospital but it ends up fine

bookishbette's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense medium-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

5.0

Outstanding. Somehow even better than her debut when I truly thought it was impossible to top.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Violence, Suicide, Death, Sexual assault, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Blood, Mental illness, Rape, Drug use, Gaslighting, Death of parent, Sexual violence, Drug abuse, Murder, and Grief

Minor: Animal death, Racism, Stalking, and Addiction

pm_me_book_recs's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

 Yes. This is finally an urban YA with realistic dialogue, believable teens, chilling horror, anxiety inducing mystery, all wrapped up in social commentary. We get Muslim representation, Queer representation, Neurodivergence, Black representation, without focusing on those identities being othered or the target of bullying. Rather, the dynamic focused on is the rift between class and gender, and the predatory actions of "frat" boys and systemic symptoms of racism and misogyny. As a survivor, this also felt like a rare accurate showing of how that trauma of having your autonomy denied you can be so silent and internalized. The different portrayals of PTSD were also great, not everyone processes and shows trauma the same way and I find authors tend to only show one or two sides instead of a spectrum.

I loved the characters, I loved their dynamic stories and moral greyness (i.e. realistic people), I loved the claustrophobic setting, I loved how Àbíké-Íyímídé spun tropes and then completely swiveled away from them, and the subplots and understory were so wonderfully intertwined and unpredictable. And a resolved ending showing healing. I love a solid resolution.

CW: Descriptions of experiencing "roofies", mentions of rape, descriptions of stalking, emotional abuse, psychological abuse, instances of death, threats, sexual harassment, violence, and blood.

Thank you Netgalley for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Drug abuse, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Murder, Rape, Stalking, and Toxic relationship