Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

14 reviews

mccormicke2's review

dark tense medium-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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Sexual assault, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Rape, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Eating disorder, Body shaming, Child abuse, Fatphobia, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Abortion, Classism, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, Terminal illness, Gun violence, Misogyny, Death of parent, and Grief

katierosecrane's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.75

This book never truly hooked me but I can understand how people would love this book. The concept is very interesting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Classism, Domestic abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Fatphobia, Infertility, Forced institutionalization, Sexual content, Alcohol, Abortion, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Death of parent, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Cursing, Sexual violence, Body shaming, and Eating disorder

mysticslinky's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Sexism, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Sexual assault, Chronic illness, Alcohol, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, and Domestic abuse

Minor: Infertility, Misogyny, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abortion, Car accident, Medical content, and Pregnancy

jesslives's review

challenging dark slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, and Rape

Moderate: Bullying, Ableism, Body shaming, Forced institutionalization, Infidelity, Sexism, Classism, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, and Gun violence

minimicropup's review against another edition

tense slow-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

3.0

2 stars + 1 star bump-up 

Main POV: 

• A married parent with the ‘perfect’ family. They are a wealthy philanthropist dedicated to cystic fibrosis awareness and funding. They seem open-minded, docile, spoiled, and naïve due to loneliness.
• A single adult in their 20s working in a real estate office while going for the long-con in a self-concocted scheme to infiltrate the philanthropist’s life, although we don’t know why. It could be revenge; it could be because they are completely unhinged.

 

Atmosphere 😒: Detached, uneasy, vindictive

• Set mostly in a wealthy suburb near Manhattan, NY

 

Cred Rating 🤪: OTT

• On the ‘juicy’ soap opera side of over-the-top. Not a story you want to go in overthinking or looking for meaningful commentary or symbolism from. 

 

Growls and Howls 🐺: 

• I don’t mind OTT, but the SLOW OTT is hard to pull off, so although it was an interesting plot in theory, it fell apart in execution for me. I think it could have benefitted from some cuts because the slowness wasn’t contributing to the story, it was stalling it out. We have the story delivered through overreliance on hold-backs (“If only they knew what I was about to do”), overly descriptive scenes about the clothing and appearances of everyone, and a lot of MC internal monologue that involves reminding the reader of a goal or thought we are already are familiar with because it was previously revealed to us…sometimes multiple times!
• There are some problematic tropes in this book, but I think that’s forgivable with OTT/soap opera type plots. It’s like angrily therapeutic. Someone plotting to steal your life and destroy you in the process? Wouldn’t it be nice to find out they self-destructed? Yes, we have women throwing themselves at a man’s feet, being toxic to other women, and using each other to further their own goals. However, this plot used severe physical, emotional, sexual, AND verbal abuse as a major revenge element. It felt icky. But, we also have stories glorifying female serial killers, so just go in to this one aware that it falls into that territory. 

 

Oops 🙃⭐️: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden (April 26, 2022) is technically a retelling of this work (opinion varies as to whether it was plagiarism, inspiration, or coincidental). The plot and MCs are different between the two, but the plot devices are the same, hence why I would say re-telling (some of my fav books are, so it's not a dig). The main difference is Frieda McFadden’s work is not so deeply in the OTT realm and doesn't rely on the abuse as justice trope. Regardless of where you stand on the matter, The Last Mrs Parrish was first (Oct 17, 2017) and I recognize that I knew the plot elements going in because I read The Housemaid first, which diluted the twists for me. So, I’m going to rate this an extra star to account for that bias.

 

Reading Journey 🙄😬: Sitting through a play when you had high expectations for it. Slow, then repetitive, then even slower, then bam-bam-bam wrap-up. My applause is for finally getting to leave, not for the performance.  

 

Mood Reading Match-Up:

• Juicy, behind closed doors domestic thriller
• B****, I’m gonna steal your life trope
• Slow, scheming, long-con sociopathic mind
• Guilty-pleasure soap opera revenge plots

 

Vibes: 😬😏😑

 

Content Heads-Up: Toxic friendships and relationships. Rape and sexual abuse (descriptive, on page). Physical, verbal, emotional abuse against spouses and children (on page). 

 

Format: Kindle Unlimited

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Rape, Sexism, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Ableism and Fatphobia

Minor: Abandonment and Death of parent

Sexual violence, rape, assault etc are on page, repetitive, and occur within a marriage. Ableism refers to reading difficulties in a child

(dyslexia and stuttering)

involving refusal to get treatment and bullying by a parent. Also a parent supporting termination and abandonment of sick or disabled children. Fatphobia is by a male against female spouse to control/demean, female spouses going on extreme diets to gain his approval, and mothers expressing disgust with their bodies after childbirth. Abandonment refers to parental rejection

(father abandoning daughters in favour of his son

.

kimveach's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-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

2.75

Apparently, I have read too many domestic thrillers as I've seen this plot before.  It's possible this book, published in 2017, was the first one to do it of the books I've read.  Thankfully, it was quick to read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Bullying, Child abuse, Classism, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Violence, Death, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Stalking, Torture, and Toxic relationship

crystal83087's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Infidelity, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Sexual content, Terminal illness, Chronic illness, Classism, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gaslighting, Body shaming, Bullying, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Child death, Grief, Fatphobia, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexism

rachelreads1994's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.0

In the story we follow Amber as she tries to escape her past and her lack luster life by attempting to seduce a rich man Jackson Parrish. Only problem with the plan is he’s already married. She befriends Daphne so that she can get closer to Jackson and steal Daphnes lavish life for herself. She’ll soon learn things aren’t always as wonderful as they seem. 
The first half really had me hooked. Amber is a terrible human with terrible views on life but it’s very interesting to read from her point of view justifying all she’s doing to this married woman in order to steal her husband. She thinks she’s more clever than anyone around her and is going to use her skills and assets to make this married rich man fall for her and give her the life she thinks she deserves. 
The second half sorta went downhill for me. I can’t really go into detail because it would spoil the twist but let’s just say it became very over the top at times, depressing often and much less believable in my opinion. 
I still enjoyed the read and got through it pretty fast due to my interest in wanting to see what happens so I still think even with the flaws it’s a solid 4 stars.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Sexism, Toxic friendship, Body shaming, Bullying, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Forced institutionalization, and Physical abuse

christine7499's review

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

I found myself constantly reading, but at times I found the fast-paced nature of the book and the sometimes simplistic way it was written to be a little cheesy. Once I got halfway through the book I could semi-predict the ending. Easy read. Enjoyable but nothing stellar.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Body shaming, Domestic abuse, Fatphobia, Grief, Rape, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Toxic relationship, Violence, Death, Forced institutionalization, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Sexual assault

kimnicol's review against another edition

dark 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

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Infidelity, Infertility, Body shaming, Alcoholism, Sexual content, Fatphobia, Domestic abuse, Violence, Rape, Emotional abuse, Eating disorder, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Stalking, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Sexual assault, Sexism, Pregnancy, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Grief, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, Classism, and Child abuse