Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Salt Grows Heavy by Cassandra Khaw

5 reviews

cheye13's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

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

4.0

Genuinely went into this fully blind and now think it deserves a more conscientious re-read. The tone and writing style were excellent and the imagery was extremely evocative. I think I lost track of who was what to whom because I was reading so quickly. Now that I know the story, I think a secord read will help me to appreciate the plot as well as the general imagery and vibes.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child death, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Gore, and Body horror

Moderate: Cannibalism, Gaslighting, Grief, and Murder

Minor: Physical abuse, Sexual violence, and Fire/Fire injury

physical abuse and sexual violence in relation to the little mermaid reference; the main character's human husband having cut out her tongue to control her; graphic: scenes of vivisection

abookwormspov's review

dark emotional fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Blood, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Cannibalism, Body horror, Child death, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Violence, Slavery, Grief, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Medical trauma, Kidnapping, and Death

macknificent's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

1.0

These characters had a wild ass story to share,  too bad Khaw's obsession with ten-dollar words gets in the way of it.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Torture, Gore, Violence, Cannibalism, Gaslighting, Body horror, Child death, Child abuse, and Death

gondorgirl's review against another edition

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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Bullying, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Murder, Torture, Cannibalism, Dysphoria, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Violence, Body horror, Blood, Grief, Misogyny, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Gaslighting

stitchnlich's review against another edition

challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This book was as vicious as teeth and as rich as heart's blood. It's hard to call it gory, because it doesn't portray flesh and blood and bone in anyway that is truly recognizable as human, though it's close enough to be unsettling. The prose only added to the atmosphere of otherworldly-ness, lyrical and severe all at once. This novella was paradoxically both difficult to continue and absolutely riveting. I simply could not look away. I loved reading this, though I'm not sure I can qualify the experience as enjoyable. Khaw packs a beautifully succinct punch with this one, but check the content warnings.

I received an ARC of this book but my opinions are my own.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Death, Murder, Violence, Gore, Medical trauma, Torture, Body horror, Blood, Cannibalism, Injury/Injury detail, and Child abuse

Minor: Gaslighting