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storiesintales 's review for:
Little Stranger
by Leigh Rivers
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Let’s state the obvious, this book is dark, taboo and definitely not for everybody. It’s just not and that’s okay.
🚨 This review may contain light spoilers, so read at your own risk 🚨
That being said, let’s get cracking with a review, shall we?
Will I ever look the same at screwdrivers? No.
From the get go Olivia and Malachi couldn’t be more different when it comes to superficial looks and likings. Where she’s all fluffy unicorns and rainbows, he’s all gloomy, dark mystery and sadness. Where he listens to Bad Omens, she listens to Taylor Swift. She’s a cheerleader loving to doll up, he likes his crunge look and combat boots.
The pet spider could’ve been crushed for all I cared, I had chills just reading about it (I really hate spiders, every and any kind or size…it’s a big fat no for me). Although, I did have a laugh when Malachi made his newest little pet crawl onto Olivia.
In turns of events, finding out why he has such a fascination with these fluffy monsters is actually heartbreaking, it’s always been his way of coping with repetitive traumatic events that had happened early on in his life.
I didn’t like the parents, they both had such flaws and shortcomings. How would they ever be allowed to foster children? With their father being a raging alcoholic (who sobers up later in the book) and who physically abused(at least insinuated) his adoptive son. Along with a manipulative mother figure who seems to get off on guilt tripping her daughter into scenarios she doesn’t even want to be a part of to begin with. I loved reading that, with mostly the help of her father, she was able to rebel and get out of the arrangements set up by her mother. Breaking free from the shackles that she’s been chained to for so long.
It definitely felt like we were taking by the hand while he spiraled in his quest for revenge. Especially since prison didn’t do Malachi any favors at all, only adding to his obsession of Olivia and what he deems rightfully his. I could sense his bitterness mollifying into self-blaming and melting further into his desperation for needing Olivia in his life. Being angry about her depriving him of her presence for 8 years.
Malachi is willing to work on himself to better himself for Olivia. Going to therapy, seeing a speech therapist. He has an odd way of showing her, but I liked the growth in him where he was like ‘fine, I’ll make peace with whatever choice you make.’
“loving me the way I always wanted to be loved.” - that’s was definitely a phrase where the realization of feeling misunderstood, lonely and deprived from any form of affection for years was felt. As it is so relatable and this broke my heart a little, because Malachi never truly felt home anywhere like he did in the presence of Olivia.
The ending of this book got me worked up and angry, because it took a turn for the worst. I don’t think Olivia should’ve walked out the way she did, especially not after begging, pleading, telling and wishing for Malachi to come back to her.
Overall I enjoyed this dark black book where dubious choices were made and characters tried to redeem themselves into becoming better people for others.
🚨 This review may contain light spoilers, so read at your own risk 🚨
That being said, let’s get cracking with a review, shall we?
From the get go Olivia and Malachi couldn’t be more different when it comes to superficial looks and likings. Where she’s all fluffy unicorns and rainbows, he’s all gloomy, dark mystery and sadness. Where he listens to Bad Omens, she listens to Taylor Swift. She’s a cheerleader loving to doll up, he likes his crunge look and combat boots.
The pet spider could’ve been crushed for all I cared, I had chills just reading about it (I really hate spiders, every and any kind or size…it’s a big fat no for me). Although, I did have a laugh when Malachi made his newest little pet crawl onto Olivia.
In turns of events, finding out why he has such a fascination with these fluffy monsters is actually heartbreaking, it’s always been his way of coping with repetitive traumatic events that had happened early on in his life.
I didn’t like the parents, they both had such flaws and shortcomings. How would they ever be allowed to foster children? With their father being a raging alcoholic (who sobers up later in the book) and who physically abused(at least insinuated) his adoptive son. Along with a manipulative mother figure who seems to get off on guilt tripping her daughter into scenarios she doesn’t even want to be a part of to begin with. I loved reading that, with mostly the help of her father, she was able to rebel and get out of the arrangements set up by her mother. Breaking free from the shackles that she’s been chained to for so long.
It definitely felt like we were taking by the hand while he spiraled in his quest for revenge. Especially since prison didn’t do Malachi any favors at all, only adding to his obsession of Olivia and what he deems rightfully his. I could sense his bitterness mollifying into self-blaming and melting further into his desperation for needing Olivia in his life. Being angry about her depriving him of her presence for 8 years.
Malachi is willing to work on himself to better himself for Olivia. Going to therapy, seeing a speech therapist. He has an odd way of showing her, but I liked the growth in him where he was like ‘fine, I’ll make peace with whatever choice you make.’
“loving me the way I always wanted to be loved.” - that’s was definitely a phrase where the realization of feeling misunderstood, lonely and deprived from any form of affection for years was felt. As it is so relatable and this broke my heart a little, because Malachi never truly felt home anywhere like he did in the presence of Olivia.
The ending of this book got me worked up and angry, because it took a turn for the worst. I don’t think Olivia should’ve walked out the way she did, especially not after begging, pleading, telling and wishing for Malachi to come back to her.
Overall I enjoyed this dark black book where dubious choices were made and characters tried to redeem themselves into becoming better people for others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment
Moderate: Physical abuse, Alcohol
Minor: Fatphobia