Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Sign Here by Claudia Lux

17 reviews

guessgreenleaf's review

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Self harm, and Suicide

Moderate: Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Grief, and Gaslighting

Minor: Incest and Pedophilia

brentdot's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

lisettemarie's review

dark emotional funny sad medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

spicycronereads's review against another edition

dark funny lighthearted sad 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

4.0

I listened to the audiobook, performed by Macleod Andrews and Brittany Pressley. It was a lot of fun.

This book is really hard to describe. It is part absurd workplace comedy (where the workplace is hell) and part thriller. 

There are two parallel narratives, one following Peyote Trip, the hell salesperson charged with closing deals. We see what happens to his work life when a new woman joins the organization. The other narrative centers on a family going to their summer house in New Hampshire. 

The first half of the book really centers on the absurdity of hell and building the tension around this family’s summer vacation. And then it takes a pretty dark turn and the thriller aspects ramp up. 

I won’t say much more for fear of spoiling it but there is character development and it happens in some surprising ways. Speaking of surprises, I guessed a few of the twists but at least one got me. 

There is pretty much no diverse representation. Everyone is white and the family on earth has multi-generational wealth. 

The audio performances are great. I loved Macleod Andrew’s’ take on Peyote’s voice and Brittany Pressley really brought bone head teenage boys to life while simultaneously capturing women in a variety of ages. 

Overall, I really enjoyed it. To the point that when I got home from work yesterday with only an hour left to go, I listened to the rest from the couch (I normally only listen while driving or doing housework). It also made me feel totally justified in my dislike of Jagermeister. 😂 IYKYK. It is a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Torture, Violence, Gaslighting, and Abandonment

Moderate: Infidelity and Murder

Minor: Bullying, Toxic relationship, and Toxic friendship

Cult,

reedcodes's review

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Infidelity, Self harm, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, and Alcohol

Moderate: Cursing, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Abandonment

Minor: Cancer, Child death, Gun violence, Pedophilia, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Mass/school shootings, and Gaslighting

bookishchaos's review

challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

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

2.75

I don't get the hype. It started off great but I struggled to finish it. None of the characters were likable and quite forgettable. The ending was super confusing and disappointing.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Infidelity, and Murder

Moderate: Pedophilia and Self harm

Minor: Gaslighting

lizacorn's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, Self harm, and Violence

Moderate: Bullying, Child death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual content, Gaslighting, and War

booksnbrooches's review

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This was compulsively readable, I will give it that. However, I was very mislead by the book marketing on BOTM’s app. It has the book labeled as humorous, and IT AIN’T. Sure, there are some dark humor elements. But this read is depressing and upsetting. Triggers galore. 

The mystery part was interesting, but easy to figure out in my opinion. I think my own expectations let me down with wanting a whimsical story about Hell’s bureaucracy. I repeat, this was not that.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

annorabrady's review

dark mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.75

The premise was interesting and the writing compelling, but I still struggled through a good portion of the book. Especially in terms of Silas' interactions with Ruth, who was only a 10th grader. 

Also, climax of the story was really good but the epilogue ruins it, in my opinion.

The whole time traveling aspect, especially one so far before the main storyline, means none of what happened in the story matters. Because even if somehow all the events happened as they happened before the story began, the events of the climax couldn't happen because there wouldn't be a reason for him to intervene.

If you struggle with eating disorders, self harm, and suicide, procede with caution with this book. 

Another note on the ending,

I thought that Mickey was the one in the family that Pey needed to get a "complete set" since he rushed to save her as she became "disconnected." So I was very much confused when Mickey still died and then the deal was made with Silas.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Eating disorder, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Infidelity, Self harm, Suicide, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

monstersinspace's review

dark funny sad medium-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoyed the subtext of the book and I found the character's flawrd but likeable. I will admit I was confused a lot about what was going on and who was talking in since it jumped time and place so often. I think it falls into the same issue a lot of time travel adjacent stories do where if you think about them long enough they are nothing but paradox so its best to take the story at face value. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Self harm, and Alcohol

Moderate: Body shaming, Eating disorder, Infidelity, and Gaslighting