Reviews tagging 'Body shaming'

None of This is True by Lisa Jewell

8 reviews

emmy_readz's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad 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

2.0

What did I just listen to? Way too many uncomfortable handlings of sensitive topics like child grooming, sexual assault, mental disability, mental health, the list goes on and on. It's like Jewell was trying to be edgy by including certain aspects but instead came across with him victim blaming energy. Alix's kids were an afterthought, honestly not even sure why they were included other than to make the two MC kids go to the same school and connect them. I think we were supposed to be unsure of who to believe with the dual POV and making Josie have a semi sympathetic voice but it came across as pathetic and selfish. Whether you believe Josie or not her motivations don't make sense regardless. The multimedia aspect of the podcast made it interesting and the pace was great. The audiobook is definitely worth a listen as it has a full cast and gives you the full multimedia experience. With the hype this book and Jewell as an author has, I'm pretty disappointed.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Toxic friendship, Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Body shaming, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Death, Murder, Gaslighting, Ableism, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Pedophilia, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Medical content, and Alcohol

flamming_bluejeans's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Murder, Addiction, Violence, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Mental illness

Minor: Excrement, Body shaming, Pregnancy, Bullying, Cursing, Eating disorder, and Pandemic/Epidemic

themichellegray's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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

5.0

It's very rare for a psychological thriller to receive a 5-star rating from me but here we are.

While the content within this story was disturbing it was delivered in such a unique format. Both the pacing and reveals were masterfully written which held my interest until the very last page. Even after finishing the story, the author left me contemplating the narratives within this book and in real-world true crime "content".

There are so many layers to this novel and I'm impressed with Jewell's ability to simultaneously write a shocking story while providing commentary on the sensationalization of real-life cases.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Pedophilia, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Death, Blood, Grief, Alcoholism, Stalking, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Medical trauma

Moderate: Incest, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Medical content

Minor: Drug use, Body shaming, Animal cruelty, and Pandemic/Epidemic

courtney_scott1025's review against another edition

dark mysterious sad 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

3.25

I loved this book except for

it felt like Josie was blamed for having a relationship with Walter even though she was 14-16 and he was in his 40s

if not for that, I would have given this book a 4.25 easily. I listened to the audiobook and it was immersive and so well done. The story kept me entertained and on the edge of my seat. I read a good majority suspense/thriller/horror novels, and this was definitely one of the books that I could not predict where it was going, and I loved that. Check your content warnings!!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Mental illness, Confinement, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Eating disorder

Moderate: Infidelity, Body shaming, Pedophilia, Death, Murder, and Fatphobia

Minor: Grief and Incest

ohyeahshebomb's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

the only time that gaslighting is okay (me, I have been gaslit)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Body shaming, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Murder, Stalking, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Chronic illness, Confinement, Pedophilia, Violence, Ableism, Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Torture, Vomit, Grief, Alcohol, Child death, Excrement, Infidelity, Sexual violence, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Incest, and Sexual assault

djmelodious's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

3.75

This was an engaging read…and not because I necessarily enjoyed what I was reading. It was hard and dark. At some points the content made me so uncomfortable I wanted to skip past it, like I would a tv show.

I like the format of the Netflix style documentary, it made me invested to know how all the puzzle pieces fit together. I also like books that make me really wonder who is telling the truth. The Fair family were all challenged in their own ways, none of them innocent in the end. But what really happened to Brooke? I 100% don’t trust Josie but like…her story at the end seems plausible. I’m really not sure.

at the end of it all, I feel bad for some of the characters and ended the book feeling melancholy that endings are just…sad.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Child death, Pedophilia, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Body shaming, Grief, Alcoholism, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Confinement

norwegianforestreader's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Cursing, Excrement, Kidnapping, Medical content, Mental illness, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Alcoholism, Alcohol, Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual content, Abandonment, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Stalking, Suicide, Violence, Eating disorder, Grief, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Pedophilia

blackcatkai's review against another edition

dark emotional tense slow-paced

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

3.0

CW: toxic friendships, murder, blood, child abuse, domestic violence, grooming, adult/minor relationship, gaslighting, victim blaming, ableism, alcohol & drug use, mental illness, trauma

this book made me angry in a bunch of different ways. i wish I had known going in that it centered around an abuse/grooming victim.

I know that a lot of the different characters act very true to life in regards to how pervasive victim blaming is & painting horrible people as martyrs or good men in their death. how someone being not entirely truthful can make everyone around them believe that then EVERYTHING is a lie, even when it isnt. so much of what happens in this book is very true to life.

however, I am still conflicted. honestly, what Josie did isn't ok. but neither is all she went through or how everyone treated/saw her. she was a woman who desperately needed help & care from such a young age and she never got that. a narcissistic mother, a married 45 year old man taking advantage of her as a young teen, her own adult children never seeming to understand how fucked up it is that their dad groomed their mother.

I don't know. I don't honestly think we're supposed to side with alix. I really don't. I can see how Jewel is also attempting a commentary on how true crime can sensationalize and twist stories about real people and turn them into something else entirely. and she's not wrong! but overall something just feels off with the way the subject is handled that doesn't sit well with me, but I also can't quite put my finger on it.

there's also a tiny moment of autism mentioned in regards to a character that also felt a bit... not quite right. just go in carefully with this one.

I will say either way that the audiobook is done EXCEEDINGLY well. a full cast & production. little touches that make the podcast moments feel like a real podcast. very well done, in that respect.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Grief, Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Ableism, Mental illness, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Injury/Injury detail, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Violence, Domestic abuse, Blood, Gaslighting, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Murder, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Infidelity, Confinement, and Medical content

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic, Stalking, Pregnancy, and Rape