Reviews tagging 'Adult/minor relationship'

Dear Laura by Gemma Amor

13 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

lyrcheylap's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Torture, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, Vomit, Gore, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Child death, and Sexual assault

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

hmn54437's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

2.0

This book set itself up to have a sick twist but instead was just exactly what i expected it to be. I appreciate it for its realness and the fact that it doesn’t hold back from the horror of real life, but the way some of the reveals were set up just made it seem like the author had plans for a big twist that never came. 

It also left so much unanswered which is understandable for a short horror, but I almost wish this could’ve been a full novel instead of just a novella so that I could’ve gotten to know Bobby, Laura, and X more as characters. I think the novella format was not what this story needed. 

I enjoyed it but I was just left with questions and the desire for more.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mental illness, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, and Death

xwritingstoriesx's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.25

4.25 stars! Far better than expected. A dark, twisted tale perfect for Halloween season. If you are especially sensitive to paedophilia, this book might trigger you, therefore proceed with caution.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Death, Gun violence, Murder, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Pedophilia, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, and Stalking

chloseencounter's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

This was a short read that was very eerie and effective, it definitely gave me the absolute creeps (but I also made the mistake of reading this all in the middle of the night in the dark). My only complaint is I didn’t think the ending was entirely satisfying but it wasn’t bad either. 

When I first finished the story I felt  like it was super scary but after sitting on it for a few days it’s left less of a lasting impact on me than I would’ve thought initially. Either way this book still accomplishes a lot for how short it is.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Death, Pedophilia, Stalking, and Gun violence

Moderate: Child death, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Murder, and Grief

Minor: Abandonment, Confinement, Alcohol, Mental illness, Sexual content, Animal death, and Panic attacks/disorders

tigrah's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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? No

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Pedophilia, Stalking, and Adult/minor relationship

Moderate: Cursing

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

ninanesseth's review against another edition

dark tense fast-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child death, Death, Kidnapping, Stalking, and Pedophilia