Reviews tagging 'Gun violence'

Twisted Love by Ana Huang

314 reviews

just_one_more_paige's review against another edition

dark emotional 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? It's complicated

3.0

Look, I knew what I wanted when I picked this book up. This is epic, soap opera, levels of drama. And I was *living* for it. I was thoroughly entertained. There was page-turning revenge and years-long cons and lies and (though it took longer than I had expected to get there, based on reviews/lists featuring this book) some very spicy scenes. It was so, deeply, unhealthy, as relationships go. And yet, like I said, I knew that going in and sometimes reading about an over-protective/possessive ass that I wouldn't touch with a 39.5-foot pole (grinch-style, you know?) IRL, is exactly the kind of escapist shit I want to read. So, in summary, this novel was unbelievably *stupid* good for my current reading mood. I shall be reading the next in the series post-haste. 


Very small side note: not my fav third act breakup (like, honestly, I never like those - UGH least fav romance trope - so take this commentary with that grain of salt), but I *particularly* didn't like this one. Too much/long “time passing” to get back together - it just feels like, he should have caved sooner…but at least the friends/fam are holding the grudge still. 

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Murder, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Child abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Toxic relationship

ellydearmond's review against another edition

mysterious medium-paced

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

2.25

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Gaslighting, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Murder, Stalking, Child abuse, and Gun violence

emily98griffin's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Violence, Child abuse, Child death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Police brutality, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Cursing, and Death

idk_indigo's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I literally just hate Alex, he sucks and is hella scary. The book also felt like it was trying to be too many things at once... brother's mafia-adjacent billionaire best friend meets the sunshine-y college-aged art student who hates him, she begs him to open up but he won't can't, he helps her reveal the mystery of a traumatic near-death experience, also he's into rough sex but wait she's into it too, he

kills multiple people

ya know.... standard stuff. It lowkey started to feel a bit like poorly written fanfic, and I'm almost surprised that Ava wasn't sold at some point. There's also a princess, for some reason.

That being said, I feel like the outrageous is sort of standard in this type of romance. I don't read dark romance much, but I feel like, while a bit too overdrawn from the list of Dark Romance Tropes, there wasn't anything too out there. However, it is not my thing; I think the over-the-top just starts to feel lazy... random unhinged plot twists don't make up for bad writing and a poorly developed plot.

Alex just also sucks, he's scary and menacing. Like, going from

very cruelly announcing that he never loved Ava and was only using her to avenge the murder of his entire family

to

stalking her to London, then following her everywhere until she agrees to look his way (like, seriously, does this dude have absolutely no hobbies? Friends? Movies to watch? Food to eat? Dumps to dump? Get a grip dude, take a note from Ms. Sabrina Carpenter & stop relating to desperation)

not to mention he

kills her father

like girl I-

I also just hate the "he hates everyone but her" trope because what's to stop Alex from doing that shit to her? What happens if she needs a break from the over "protection" and the bordering-on-psychopathic possessiveness and then he like

kills her too

? Be so fr because why is that attractive at all, he threatened to murder someone because he brushed her waist, like what next? Is he going to give their waiter a black eye because he smiled at her? Will headlines read Local Walmart Cashier Found in Parking Lot With 4 Bruised Ribs because she needed help with a return?

Also, and understandably my least favorite part of this book, was the fact that the female narrator sucked. She wasn't terrible, but I do think she would be better suited as a car saleswoman, or maybe the needy, middle-aged side character in a Nickelodeon family sitcom who needs better boundaries with her neighbor's kids. I do not think she was the right person for the gig. 

It was enjoyable. The sex was not as slay as it could've been. But I can see why this is hyped up. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder

Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Kidnapping, Gun violence, Stalking, and Suicide

hayley_read_books's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Stalking, Blood, Child death, Murder, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, and Panic attacks/disorders

bookowl805's review against another edition

dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

4.25

i read it in just a few days. Alex is a bono and a great book-character (but i won’t hide that i’d probably run away from someone like him).

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Blood, Hate crime, Death of parent, Death, Domestic abuse, Gun violence, Child abuse, Dementia, Panic attacks/disorders, Cursing, Sexual content, and Gore

Moderate: Fire/Fire injury

samhalseth's review against another edition

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, Child abuse, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, and Violence

b00kl0v3rastro's review against another edition

emotional funny sad tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Self harm, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, Child abuse, Gun violence, Suicide, and Suicide attempt

puchunga's review against another edition

dark medium-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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content

Moderate: Gun violence

Minor: Child abuse, Stalking, Child death, Death, Blood, Murder, Violence, Death of parent, and Kidnapping

katielvk's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence

Moderate: Murder, Toxic relationship, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Gaslighting, Suicide, and Blood