Reviews tagging 'Animal cruelty'

The Stranger Upstairs by Lisa M. Matlin

29 reviews

sadieruin's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty

kaylamarch's review

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

2.0

Update a few hours later: the more I think about this book, the more confused I get and the more frustrated I get by the unanswered questions. Who sent the DVD? What was the relevance of Amanda and Sarah/Lizzy looking so much alike? Like, why was that even a plot point? It was made out like Lizzy/Sarah and Amanda had similar sketchy backgrounds and looked so much alike, I assumed there must be some relevance there, but there never was. Why would none of the town talk about Amanda? Why was her disappearance so covered up? Where did Janet go? What happened when Lizzy/Sarah found herself holding a bloody hammer? Why was it bloody? What did she do?
There were far too many unanswered questions, so I’m lowering my rating to 2 stars. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty

walenchao's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism

Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Self harm, and Stalking

Minor: Vomit

beckyremillard's review

dark mysterious 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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Mental illness, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Blood, Infidelity, Murder, Self harm, Vomit, Toxic friendship, Violence, and Alcoholism

yalibrarianjen's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide, Stalking, Mental illness, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Vomit, Infidelity, Gaslighting, Bullying, Violence, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, and Emotional abuse

cammaleahh's review against another edition

dark 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Alcoholism

Moderate: Animal cruelty

Minor: Infidelity and Suicide

kris386's review

mysterious medium-paced

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Infidelity, Mental illness, Vomit, Stalking, Animal cruelty, Chronic illness, and Death

Minor: Animal death

debhawkins's review

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Mental illness, and Alcoholism

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Murder

katiemack's review

dark mysterious tense fast-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

3.75

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

I'm glad this leans into the haunted house (and haunted person) horror motif as much as I thought it would. I thought it would veer more into thriller territory, and I'm pleasantly surprised by how eerie it is. The twist is somewhat predictable--though the epilogue provides a satisfying counter-twist--and although Lisa M. Matlin has a solid grasp on her narrative there are some annoyingly unresolved loose ends. But, for the most part, this is a deliciously terrifying read about Sarah's physical, mental, and emotional deterioration as she attempts to remodel a house that defiantly resists change. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Murder, and Mental illness

Moderate: Animal cruelty and Death

Minor: Infidelity

katielynn97's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

I thought this was a fantastic debut novel! I'm very picky about reading books in first person because very rarely are they as well done as this. I devoured this book in less than 6 hours total. I can't wait to see what LMM writes next! 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcoholism

Minor: Suicide and Animal cruelty