Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Dear Laura by Gemma Amor

10 reviews

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.

---

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

kryskross's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Violence, and Kidnapping

Minor: Drug use

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.

---

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.

---

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

zeegy's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

2.5

an uncomfortable read about an uncomfortable yet terrifyingly possible occurrence 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Violence, Body horror, Car accident, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Addiction, Drug use, Gore, Medical content, Murder, Death, Death of parent, Stalking, Vomit, Animal death, and Blood

horizonous's review against another edition

dark 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

4.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Stalking

Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Death, Drug abuse, and Violence

Minor: Pedophilia

◦ Body horror = Injury
◦ Death = Friend
◦ Drug abuse = Marijuana
◦ Mental illness = Anxiety, depression

henrygravesprince's review against another edition

dark emotional sad 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? No

3.75

Assorted thoughts:

1. The beginning feels a little off — or, maybe, I think it’s more that the writing style takes a bit to slide into? I’m not sure, but it took me a minute to stop feeling off with it.
2. I think the
   ‘confrontation’
   is a bit on the nose. Really, it’s the fact that
   he asked her to look at his scars and commented about not being “liked” in prison; it feels like a too-blatant villain monologue cut short when just showing the scars without his comments on them would have made the point just as well or, in my opinion, better
   .
3. I saw some reviewers comment that the ending is unrealistic, and
   maybe this is because I’m from the US where the justice system is busted and victim-blamey, and am not super well-versed in the UK’s justice system, but I found that the protagonist went to jail for killing a predator who tormented her for years & threatened her child
   to be one of the things that struck me as most “real” in this book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Kidnapping, Child death, Grief, Murder, Sexual violence, and Stalking

Moderate: Violence, Vomit, Gun violence, and Injury/Injury detail

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

---

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

anger566's review against another edition

dark tense fast-paced

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

3.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Pedophilia

Moderate: Stalking, Murder, and Kidnapping

Minor: Vomit, Drug use, and Gun violence

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

---

Content Warnings

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