Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Bye, Baby by Carola Lovering

6 reviews

mynameisrebecca's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.25

This is a fun, easy "thriller" read - one that has a mysterious overtone but nothing really shocking or twisty. Due to the multitimeline, dual perspective writing a lot of the twists are easy to see coming. While I really liked the book and couldn't put it down, it was hard to get past the fact that the core plot is centered around main characters who are oblivious and ignorant, and nothing would have happened if people just stopped to think. The writing was really fun and vivid though.

Major major warning for sexual assault/abuse. It's really prevalent and I don't think it was exactly needed to get the point across.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Kidnapping, Addiction, Sexual content, Rape, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Classism, Abortion, Death, and Murder

sstewart89's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Classism, Dementia, Rape, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Stalking, Abandonment, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Terminal illness, Toxic friendship, and Kidnapping

smileyjayna's review against another edition

challenging dark tense

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

2.25

I love ghost* stories
* “ghosts” generally, not like 👻

I do not love the narrative voice (if that’s the right term for it, how it’s always “I give a strained smile” or “I jolt up in bed”) but I haven’t read anything else by Lovering so I’m guessing it was it was a choice for a thriller.

I DO like the way choices are dissected and discussed, how they do or do not belong to their characters, if that makes sense.

I like the pacing of the book overall, but I have not decided my opinion on the moments in which two characters experience the same event.

I think it was a sloppy choice to use weight as shorthand for virtue/virtue (wade, ava (to a lesser extent)).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Dementia, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Medical content, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Rape, Emotional abuse, Vomit, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Incest, Classism, Fatphobia, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, and Terminal illness

Minor: Infidelity, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, Abortion, Eating disorder, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, and Lesbophobia

dblue236's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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

3.0

Trigger warnings: Childhood sexual abuse, sexual assault, domestic abuse, domestic violence. 

First things first, I absolutely hated both of these main characters. Couldn't stand them. Not a single redeeming quality about either of them. I was able to mostly get past that because I was into the story... and then that turned out to be a big nothing as well. There was no real resolution, no real point beyond "People suck, friendships fall apart." I kept waiting to get something out of this, and I just didn't. Points for what could have been, I guess. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Toxic friendship, Death, Physical abuse, Rape, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Incest, and Sexual assault

Moderate: Kidnapping, Murder, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Dementia, and Bullying

cassiereadsbooks_'s review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Grief, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Death, Death of parent, Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Murder, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Abortion and Rape

jillwedemeier's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense 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

4.5

Cassie and Billie are two lifelong best friends who have grown apart as they have grown older. On the night of Cassie's 35th birthday, Billie hears cries coming from Cassie's birthday party, one floor above her. Billie discovers that Cassie's infant daughter is crying, and no one is caring for the child while the party is going on. Billie takes the baby back downstairs to comfort her.  Before Billie realizes what she has done, she hears Cassie's terrified screams as she tries to find her missing daughter. What follows is the story of how this inseparable pair, once fiercely bonded by dark secrets, has drifted apart in adulthood. Cassie married a wealthy man, had a baby, and is building a following on social media as a lifestyle influencer. Billie, on the other hand, is single, childless, and a world traveler. While Billie desperately wants to reconnect with her former best friend, Cassie desperately wants to leave her past—and Billie—behind.

Told from alternating perspectives and timelines, Bye, Baby explores the complexities of female friendships and the aftereffects of split-second decisions. I was completely engrossed in Billie and Cassie's stories and could not put this book down, finishing the entire thing in one day. While this book has many suspenseful moments, it is much more than just a thriller or a domestic suspense novel. This book is incredibly thought-provoking. I empathized with Billie in so many unexpected ways, and I think that many women will relate to this story. Overall, a very compelling read that I highly recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Death of parent, and Alcohol

Moderate: Abortion