Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Dear Laura by Gemma Amor

10 reviews

killmoore_'s review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense 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

3.75

I really enjoyed Dear Laura, but to get to that point I had to stop thinking about it. There are a few painfully ignored questions that caused my review to drop drastically (why did he get in the car?!) and the ending fell a bit flat fo  me personally, but I loved the world that Gemma creates for her reader. Forever grateful that as a 30+ year old woman, I couldn't care any less about what's going on with my boyfriend of 20 years ago. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Self harm, Mental illness, Child death, Grief, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, Blood, Emotional abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Bullying, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Stalking, and Vomit

missgrangerr's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• 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

4.0

True horror, for me, is based in reality. Your best friend and newly made boyfriend goes missing at 15 and you’re the last person to see him before he gets into a strangers van; that’s horror. Laura’s life after, his parents lives, true horror. This book really delves into the not knowing and how desperate one is to find out. It also plays with the illusion of free will and power in a relationship and how it can ruin a person. When she didn’t hear from X she was panicking and when she did she was still panicking. The power he had over her was tremendous and Gemma Amor wrote it fantastically.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Self harm, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Body horror, Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Adult/minor relationship, Abandonment, Stalking, and Toxic relationship

ghostblush's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Grief, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Death, Stalking, and Self harm

Moderate: Animal death

ana21's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, and Stalking

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Drug use, Grief, and Murder

Minor: Injury/Injury detail

ginagray's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, Emotional abuse, Murder, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Stalking, and Grief

Moderate: Gaslighting and Drug abuse

nabaraditi's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.0

 This book was obsessive, horrifying, mysterious and creepy and I liked it. I read it in 1 evening. 
I had just 2 problems with the plot 

1. it was never explaing why Bobby voluntarily got in the car. I'm assuming that he was told that he has to either sacrifice himself or he'll take Laura? Because Bobby does look back a bit (if I remember clearly) to Laura and then gets in the car. 
 2. I sort of lost the appeal of the whole "give me personal things for Bobby" as X already told LAura that Bobby is dead. I was like why does it matter now? Bobby is dead already. I understand human sentiment to get closure. And Laura being the sweet girl she is, she wants Bobby's mom to get closure as well. But still. I wish the bribe would have made more sense if she would get Bobby alive and unharmed or something like that

 
I like the book explained how the character was feeling, what she was thinking. That helped me be in her shoes and feel the same kind of emotions. The writing is compelling, for sure. 
This book talks about grief and loss (<b> that could be a trigger warning </b> ) and a teenager being depressed and how much the loss affects her for a longer period. This book also talks about how teenagers are pulled into horrible things when they are vulnerable.  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Stalking, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Gun violence, Pedophilia, and Drug use

scarafaggy's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

"And now, like a little brown bird, flying north, she continues, walking on, in a straight, true line through the forest, always on, and never back, because that is not how we survive."

I think indie horror is definitely the way to go. A nail-biting story that, despite its length, has amazing heart-dropping moments that will keep you reading. Please give this a go! You won't be disappointed. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Stalking

Moderate: Pedophilia and Rape

mrshillier's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence

vvitch's review against another edition

dark reflective sad 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Blood, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, and Grief

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Mental illness

madisonhh666's review against another edition

dark mysterious 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? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence